The European Commission's latest temporary measure, placing a flat €3 charge on all small parcels (under €150) arriving from non-EU nations, will go into force on July 1. The bill seeks to prevent the large influx of low-cost goods—more than 90% of which originate in China via e-commerce behemoths such as Temu, Shein, and AliExpress—by safeguarding the domestic market from unfair competition, customs fraud, consumer health hazards, and environmental repercussions. Under the mechanism, the payment is solely handled by the selling platforms or importers, with no direct increases for the end consumer. However, the tax is determined based on each individual item and its tariff classification rather than the whole volume of the shipment. The Commission says that the purchase of five T-shirts will result in a single €3 tax if they are included in the same category, however the inclusion of a different product, such as a watch, will result in a charge doubling to €6. To avoid double taxation, which would have penalized national ports, the Italian government has chosen to delay the implementation of the €2 internal handling fee, which was originally slated for July, until October, avoiding the risk of an immediate cumulative effect on shipping prices.