Italy – Handling Fee Levy on Low-Value Imports – First Results 

The Italian Government presented last year in the draft Budget Law 2026 a specifically designated protectionist customs measure, which should primarily generate more tax revenue and, secondly, decrease the disparity between local retailers and online vendors who supply low-value imports from outside the EU. 

The introduction of the so-called handling fee, fixed at EUR 2 per consignment, should bring hundreds of millions of euros into state coffers, according to preliminary estimates of the new policy. It was also forecast that state revenue would grow significantly year on year. 

The effective date of the new measure was January 1, 2026. From the first day of the new year, low-value consignments (less than EUR 150) with Italy as the entry point will be subject to a fixed customs/handling levy of EUR 2 per consignment, applied to a single customer. 

Reality Numbers

However, EU Customs rules permit non-EU vendors of low-value goods to seek other, less costly solutions. So, what has happened since the introduction of the new customs measure? The online vendors and e-commerce marketplaces that mostly facilitate these supplies, in cooperation with logistics companies, redirected their shipments and routes to legally bypass this new measure. 

The EU customs rules of free movement of goods permit this. Instead of choosing Italy as the entry point for these shipments, online vendors choose other Member States as their EU entry point. So, they and their customers aren’t “exposed” to the new measure or to increased prices. 

Policy Effects 

The current massive failure of this newly introduced customs measure is forecast to be much more than just a “simple” loss of revenue for the customs authorities. The entire logistics infrastructure is hurting. Fewer imports, less cargo to be reviewed, resulting in lost profits for all parties involved, from airports to local courier services. 

This could result in a layoff season for personnel across all types of companies in the e-commerce industry. 

Future of the Policy 

The introduction of the domestic handling fee levy, based on the January 2026 numbers, is a major failure for Italy, as e-commerce marketplaces had prepared a successful backup plan in advance. Will the Government suspend the measure? Will it wait for the “potential” adoption of the EU-wide handling customs levy, planned for November? 

It remains to be seen.