France Plans to Impose Fees on Small Packages: How to Deal With It

In April 2025, the French government announced a new policy for imported small packages, planning to impose a fixed handling fee on each low-value small package entering Europe starting in 2026. This policy is designed to respond to the surge in packages from Asia, especially China, and to strengthen security and compliance checks on these packages.

For sellers who rely on cross-border transportation, this policy may increase logistics costs, change the supply chain structure, and affect market competitiveness. This article will analyze the impact of this policy on the industry from the perspective of international transportation service providers, and provide practical solutions to help companies optimize logistics strategies, reduce costs, and improve operational efficiency.

Policy details

Charging standards: Each package will be charged a fixed fee of 2-5 euros, or 0.3-0.5 euros based on the unit price of the product.

Implementation mechanism: E-commerce platforms are required to share sellers' tax information, and sellers who are not registered for EU Value Added Tax (VAT) will face customs clearance obstacles.

Industry protection: 91% of the 800 million small parcels received by France in 2024 are from China, with an average commodity value of only 8 euros, and the local retail market share is squeezed;

Fiscal revenue increase: fill the tax gap caused by the tax exemption policy and pave the way for EU tariff reform;

Safety control: 94% of parcels have compliance issues, and 66% involve safety hazards, which requires fees to force companies to improve quality standards.

Why charge small parcels?

The background of France's move is that the United States recently cancelled the tariff exemption for small parcels, causing France to worry that Chinese goods may flood into the European market. In addition, the EU plans to cancel the tax exemption for small parcels worth less than 150 euros in 2028, and France's charging plan is seen as a transitional measure.

The French government encourages reducing excessive packaging and inefficient transportation to promote a more sustainable logistics system. A large number of small parcels may increase the burden on customs, and the policy aims to improve customs clearance efficiency.

The French government emphasizes that many products in small parcels do not meet safety regulations, and the entry of foreign small parcels will expose domestic companies to unfair competition. Therefore, the revenue from the handling fee will be used to fund inspections at ports of entry.

Impact on B2B companies and e-commerce sellers

1. Increased costs

Direct costs: The fixed handling fee for each package will directly increase the logistics costs of the company.

Indirect costs: Due to the need to register for EU Value Added Tax (VAT) and share tax information, companies may need to invest more time and resources to meet compliance requirements.

2. Customs clearance complexity

Customs clearance barriers: Sellers who are not registered for VAT will face customs clearance barriers, which may cause package delays or returns.

Intensified inspections: Packages will face stricter inspections, including anti-fraud reviews, border controls, product safety, labeling standards, and environmental assessments.

3. Market competition

Price increases: Although the fees are not paid directly by consumers, platforms or importers may pass on the costs to end consumers, and the price of a single product is expected to increase by 5%-15%.

Market share: If other EU countries follow France's example, China's export growth to Europe may decline.

Industry impact

Cost pressure: Taking Temu as an example, the average customer unit price of its French orders is about 15 euros. If a management fee of 3 euros is added, the profit margin will be compressed from 12% to 5%;

Logistics price increase: DHL, FedEx and other international logistics companies plan to increase the freight of small packages from China to France by 15%-20%;

Supply chain reconstruction: Yiwu sellers have begun to move warehouses to EU countries such as Spain and Poland, and avoid management fees through the "overseas warehouse + local delivery" model.

How to reduce the impact and optimize logistics strategies?

As a professional international logistics service provider, Chinadivision provides the following solutions to help B2B companies and e-commerce sellers cope with the new French policy:

Compliant logistics services help sellers quickly complete tax compliance and avoid customs clearance obstacles. Ensure that all packages meet EU safety, environmental protection and labeling standards to reduce delays caused by compliance issues. Use recyclable packaging materials to reduce additional taxes and fees. Ensure that goods meet EU import requirements to avoid additional costs due to environmental regulations.

Multi-channel logistics solutions, combining multiple logistics methods such as sea, air and land transportation, provide the most optimized logistics solutions according to the value and urgency of the package. Reduce the logistics cost of each package through batch transportation and centralized customs clearance. Adopt the bulk shipping mode to merge multiple small packages into the same batch to reduce the unit cost and improve efficiency.

Efficient customs clearance service, familiar with EU regulations, and able to quickly handle complex customs clearance processes. Choose an international transportation service provider with rich customs clearance experience (such as Chinadivision) to ensure fast and efficient customs clearance and reduce detention time.

Increase the unit price of products and optimize the product mix to reduce the order proportion of small packages. Utilize the local logistics network to reduce the cross-border order delivery link through overseas warehouses or cooperative warehousing models.

How does Chinadivision help companies cope with new policies?

As an international logistics fulfillment service provider, Chinadivision can provide a full range of solutions for B2B companies and cross-border e-commerce sellers:

Overseas warehouse solutions: help customers to plan European warehousing in advance and reduce the cost of direct mail of small packages.

Intelligent customs clearance service: optimize the customs clearance process to ensure that goods enter the market quickly.

Bulk shipping mode: consolidate orders, improve transportation efficiency, and reduce policy impact.

Environmental logistics support: help sellers optimize packaging methods to meet European environmental policy standards.

France's policy of charging fees for small packages is about to be implemented, and B2B companies and e-commerce sellers need to prepare in advance. As your international logistics fulfillment service provider, Chinadivision will provide you with full support to help you cope with policy changes, optimize logistics costs, ensure compliance operations, and help your business continue to grow. If you have any questions or need further help, please feel free to contact us. We look forward to working with you to jointly meet challenges and seize opportunities!