Handling fee on parcels from outside the EU approved by court

The Dutch government is allowed to introduce a handling fee on parcels from outside the EU, a preliminary relief judge at the District Court of The Hague has ruled. ViaEurope, the logistics company responsible for customs clearance for online retailers like Temu and Shein, had challenged the fee in court. The judge dismissed the case, finding no reason to block the so-called handling fee.

It will become more expensive to buy parcels from outside the EU next year, as was recently decided in Brussels. From July, a three-euro import duty will apply to each parcel bought from Chinese online stores and similar retailers. On top of this, the Netherlands plans to levy an additional two-euro fee per item.

ViaEurope brought the case in an attempt to block or postpone the new fee. The court, however, ruled that it is the government’s responsibility to decide when charges for customs processing apply.

The timing of the introduction of the handling fees in the Netherlands remains uncertain. While it was originally planned for January 1, the Council of Ministers still needs to approve it. State Secretary for Taxation and Customs Eugène Heijnen informed the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Dutch parliament, this week that he will present the proposed amendment to the General Customs Decree to the Council of Ministers in mid-January.

It has been confirmed that France, Belgium, and Luxembourg also plan to implement a national handling fee, though not before February. Across the EU, the fee is expected to come into effect in November next year. The surcharge is meant to cover the extra costs customs face from the high volume of parcels from online retailers.