Background
The administrative costs for customs processing and related workforce necessitated the Council of Ministers to move forward with the agenda to mandate the introduction of the new customs levy, specifically targeting low-value imports.
The Italian Council of Ministers on June 26, 2026, adopted a Decree-Law. No 107, by which it has postponed the introduction of the EUR 2 customs handling fee for low-value imports. The introduction of the statewide customs handling fee came about as a direct result of the exponential growth of low-value e-commerce imports.
The Italian customs agencies have been experiencing administrative hurdles with millions of low-value parcels coming into the EU, primarily being shipped from China, previously facilitated by e-commerce marketplaces.
The Decision to postpone the introduction of the low-value handling fee for 3 months, previously scheduled for July 1, 2026, to October 1, 2026, came primarily as a result of aligning the roll-out of the domestic handling fee with the introduction of the EU-wide customs levy.
New Timeline
Italy will roll out a EUR 2 handling fee for low-value imports from October 1, 2026.
New Framework
Low-value Imports Handling Fee
On August 7, 2026, the President assented to Law No. 152. (Law) which converts previously adopted Decree-Law No.107, and with this formal move, it enacts a Decree and makes it a Law. The Law enacts the introduction of the EUR 2 customs handling fee for low-value imports starting from October 1, 2026.
The e-commerce vendors that dispatch low-value products(threshold EUR 150) originating from outside the EU into Italy will face a EUR 2 handling fee(for administrative customs costs) per consignment, as the preliminary technical framework entails.
Direct e-commerce vendors and/or e-commerce marketplaces that facilitate third-party sales of low-value goods to Italian consumers should be aware of the upcoming change. From this administrative change, the necessity to adjust internal business processes becomes a must, as well as the pricing strategy for impacted vendors.
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