European handling fee from 1 November 2026
From 1 November 2026, a European handling fee will apply to e-commerce shipments sent directly from outside the EU to consumers within the EU. The company submitting the customs declaration will pay €2 per declaration line. The fee also applies to e-commerce shipments with a value above €150.
For customers who already hold their stock at Hexspoor in the Netherlands, the situation is different. These goods have already been imported before an order is shipped to the consumer.
What changes on 1 November?
The new handling fee applies when a consumer purchases products online from outside the EU and these are shipped directly into the EU. If one parcel contains multiple declaration lines, the fee is charged per line. A parcel with three declaration lines, for example, would result in a €6 handling fee.
For e-commerce shipments up to and including €150, this fee is added to the fixed import duty that has applied since 1 July 2026. This amounts to €3 per declaration line. From 1 November, product identification will also become mandatory in the customs declaration for e-commerce goods.
What does this mean if your stock is held at Hexspoor?
Is your stock held at Hexspoor in the Netherlands? If the goods were imported from outside the EU, they have already gone through customs. An order that is then shipped from the Netherlands to a consumer within the EU is not a direct e-commerce import from outside the EU.
The €2 handling fee and the fixed €3 import duty are therefore not charged again for each consumer order shipped from this stock.
Importing stock into the Netherlands remains a separate customs process. Import duties and VAT may apply. Your own company is listed as the Importer of Record; Hexspoor acts as the logistics service provider and not as the importer. Correct customs, VAT and product data are therefore important for smooth import processing.
More information can be found in our import and customs instructions.
When is this change relevant to you?
Do you also ship orders directly from a country outside the EU to European consumers, in addition to holding stock at Hexspoor? If so, the new handling fee may apply to these shipments.
In that case, check with the party handling your customs declarations how many declaration lines your shipments contain, which costs may arise and which product data will be required from 1 November.
A professional fulfilment partner
By holding stock centrally in the Netherlands, goods are imported in advance and orders can then be processed from within the EU.
Do you have questions about importing your stock or are your international goods flows changing? Discuss this with your dedicated contact at Hexspoor in good time.