March 12, 2026
Three regulatory changes affecting EU cross-border shipping came into effect in January 2026. Two are enforcement tightenings of rules already on the books. One is new. Here is what each means for merchants shipping into or out of EU member states.
As of January 1, 2026, the Import Control System 2 (ICS2) Phase 3 enforcement is fully active. This means that all carriers — including postal operators that were previously exempt — must submit advance cargo information before a shipment departs for the EU. The information required includes precise commodity codes, accurate descriptions, and declared value.
The practical impact: shipments with incomplete or mismatched data are being held at point of entry rather than cleared provisionally. For merchants using postal carriers for smaller international shipments, this is a new friction that did not exist in the same form last year.
The EUR 150 threshold below which no customs duty applies has not changed, but enforcement has. EU customs authorities are now actively cross-referencing declared values against marketplace price data to flag undervaluation. Merchants who were habitually declaring below actual transaction value to keep shipments under the threshold face increased inspection rates and penalties.
The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation now requires importers in certain categories — primarily consumer goods with plastic packaging components — to provide compliance documentation confirming that packaging meets EU recyclability standards. This requirement applies at the import declaration stage, not just at point of sale.
Categories affected include household goods, personal care products, and certain food-adjacent products. Electronics and industrial goods are not currently in scope.
Check your commodity codes. The most common compliance problem we see is merchants using approximate or outdated HS codes. A mismatch between your declared code and the actual product triggers automatic review. Review your declared values. If your pricing has changed since you last updated your customs documentation templates, update them. Check your carrier agreements. Not all carriers have fully implemented ICS2 Phase 3 data submission. Ask your carrier for confirmation before shipping to EU destinations.