BCC: New EU Customs Duties To Hit Small Businesses

Reacting to the EU's decision today on de minimis exemptions and new customs duties from 1 July 2026, William Bain, Head of Trade Policy, said:   

"The decision to charge a flat customs duty of €3 on each commodity code for consignments worth less than €150 entering the EU will have a significant impact on British businesses.    

“Although UK originating products will still be tariff free, they will now face customs fees and potentially separate handling charges levied by individual EU countries.    

“This extra cost will make goods from Great Britian less attractive to both businesses and people in the EU and squeeze profit margins.    

“Major EU customs reforms are due to come into force from January 2028, and the UK government is consulting on the scheme for abolishing the UK de minimis threshold from 2029.     

“The government must now consider wider customs reforms and the introduction of a Single Trade Window to ease costs for our firms. It will also need to review the impact of these EU changes on customs rules between Great Britain and Northern Ireland."