In plain words
Thirty seconds to understand what changed.
You need someone in Europe
Since December 2024 the EU wants a named contact inside Europe for your products. You can't be it from outside, so you pay a company: a few hundred to a few thousand a year.
Every small parcel pays duty
Since 1 July 2026, a flat €3 per item on parcels up to €150. An item is one tariff classification, not one unit. Usually the seller pays. What it costs
Then a handling fee on top
From 1 November, €2 per item on every online order sent to an EU consumer, with no €150 limit. The details
If you only make a little money in Europe, it may not be worth it. Sometimes the honest move is to stop selling there.
Run your numbersThe rules behind the answer
Each one linked to its source.
GPSRin force since 13 Dec 2024
Consumer products placed on the EU market need a named Responsible Person with an address inside the EU. It applies to sellers anywhere in the world, and covers digital products and software.
Regulation (EU) 2023/988€3 per item customs dutysince 1 Jul 2026
The €150 duty-free exemption is gone. A temporary flat duty of €3 per item applies to consignments worth €150 or less, until 1 July 2028. An "item" is goods sharing one tariff classification, not one unit: the Commission's own example is five T-shirts at €3, and a T-shirt plus a watch at €6. The declarant pays, in practice the seller, importer or IOSS holder, only rarely the buyer.
Council Regulation (EU) 2026/382€2 per item handling feefrom 1 Nov 2026
A second charge on top of the duty, on every item sold online from outside the EU and sent to an EU consumer, whatever the parcel's value. Paid by whoever pays the other customs charges, not the buyer. Collection starts by 1 November 2026 at the latest.
European ParliamentNorthern Ireland is in, Great Britain is out
England, Wales and Scotland follow separate UK rules. Northern Ireland stays inside the EU regime.
Old stock is almost never grandfathered
Article 51 protects products placed on the EU market before 13 December 2024, and that is assessed per individual unit, not per listing. If you're outside the EU and ship on order, nothing was placed before the cutoff.
The full explanationSwitching off EU sales only affects EU buyers
Visibility outside the EEA and Northern Ireland is unaffected. On Etsy the opt-out is shop-wide rather than per listing.
What non-compliance costs
Authorities can fine, ban, or remove products from the market. Marketplaces can remove listings and suspend accounts.