China Logistics Daily
Illustration of a European river port customs post with a barrier arm, a moored barge and pallets awaiting clearance.

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EU Customs

The EU has spent several years rebuilding how low-value imports are taxed and cleared, and it is not finished. IOSS, the removal of the low-value consignment relief, and the wider customs reform package all change the same thing: who is liable, when, and for how much. If you sell into the EU from China, the compliance surface is now wider than a VAT registration. Import control filings, the accuracy of your commercial invoice data, and your choice of clearance agent decide whether parcels flow or sit. This tag covers regulation as it lands, the enforcement that follows, and the practical filing changes your 3PL has to make. Rules published in Brussels reach your consignments through a chain of intermediaries, and the gap between announcement and enforcement is where most sellers get caught out.

Read the EU duty guide

Recent eu customs stories

Briefings covering eu customs

4 stories

China Freight Rates Split as EU Customs Bite Imports

China to North Europe air rates fell 7% last week while transpacific air rose 3%, so your lane choice now decides your margin. The EU’s abolished €150 customs exemption is showing up in the data, with China and Hong Kong imports at Frankfurt down 1.8% and 7.4% in September. China’s September trade surplus hit $133.5 billion, which keeps tariff pressure from Brussels and Washington running hot into 2027 contract season.

  • Air Freight
  • Sea Freight
  • Peak Season

4 stories

China briefing: EU hybrid deal, tanker costs, 2027 contracts

China has agreed to cut hybrid car exports to the EU by more than half over four years, the first time Beijing has moderated exports before a trade fight. Tanker hire now costs more than a SpaceX launch, which will feed into fuel surcharges on every lane. Asia-Europe 2027 contract talks have started with shippers holding the stronger hand.

  • Tariffs & Duties
  • EU Customs
  • Sourcing

5 stories

China Logistics Daily: US Imports Hit Record, Rates Fall

US container imports hit a record 2,546,261 TEU in September, with China-origin volume up 4.5% on August to 924,454 TEU, so demand on your lane is strong even as spot rates to Europe fall by a third or more since July. Tender season favours you right now: carriers are cutting long-term deals and even forwarders are getting better rates. If you ship to FBA, Amazon’s two new China to US air options give you a 7 to 15 day replenishment window with no inbound placement fee.

  • Sea Freight
  • Ports & Congestion
  • Peak Season

3 stories

China rates split: Transpacific holds, Europe falls again

The container rate gap between Asia-US and Asia-Europe has reached historic levels, with Transpacific gains slowing to 2% this week after September’s sprint while Europe drops for the 12th consecutive week. Air cargo enters Q4 peak with capacity tight on tech lanes and loose everywhere else, meaning your routing choice now determines whether you get space or pay double.

  • Sea Freight
  • Peak Season
  • EU Customs

4 stories

China freight: Maersk fee change, service cuts

From 19 October 2026, Maersk will hit any 20ft box over 25 tonnes into Germany and Poland with a $400 Heavy Load Surcharge, down from 28 tonnes. Maersk and CMA CGM are also ending their ASAS2 Asia to East Coast South America loop after the 8 December Shanghai sailing, and ONE is folding its Hong Kong regional HQ into Singapore from April 2027. Check your heavy 20ft bookings this week.

  • Sea Freight
  • Fuel & Surcharges
  • EU Customs

3 stories

China ecommerce exports to EU fall 65% in August

Chinese ecommerce exports to the EU fell 65% year on year in August, the second month of collapse since the €3-per-item fee took effect. Meanwhile, container schedule reliability on Far East–Europe dropped to 6%, with delays averaging 8.2 days, levels not seen since late 2021. If you have stock moving through Europe right now, your arrival date is fiction.

  • Air Freight
  • EU Customs
  • De Minimis

4 stories

China air cargo splits: US lanes up 13%, EU down 14%

Air cargo out of China and Hong Kong split hard in August: US volumes up 13% year on year, Europe down 14%, with Hong Kong to Europe worst at minus 30%. Ocean rates are easing off peak but bunker fuel at June levels means they will not fall far, and typhoon congestion is keeping capacity tight.

  • Air Freight
  • EU Customs
  • De Minimis

4 stories

China opens Pinglu Canal, air cargo drops, Shanghai omitted

China opens the Pinglu Canal on 15 September, halving transport costs from Nanning to South-east Asia. Hong Kong to Europe air cargo tonnages fell 30% year on year in August as EU duty changes persist. Gemini dropped Shanghai from its Asia shuttle, citing reliability, whilst typhoon delays at Shanghai and Ningbo exceed 10 days.

  • Sea Freight
  • Sourcing
  • Ports & Congestion

3 stories

China ports slip on Saudel as Cosco orders 18 more ships

Typhoon Saudel has put rolled cargo and skipped port calls back into the China trades, and yard density in north and east Asia is tightening behind it. Cosco has committed about $3bn to 18 new container ships, which does nothing for your Q4 but plenty for 2028 rates. Brussels is briefing that the four-track talks with Beijing could move by the end of the year.

  • Ports & Congestion
  • Sea Freight
  • Peak Season

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