| Cost item | Direct small parcel from China | Bulk import to a German warehouse |
|---|---|---|
| EU duty | EUR 3 temporary duty per item | Normal tariff by commodity code |
| Handling fee | From November 2026 at the latest, amount not set | Also applies; lower from 2028 with a customs warehouse |
| WEEE, battery, packaging registration | Needed either way | Needed either way; the warehouse also checks the numbers |
| Storage, intake and delivery fees | No storage fee | Quote needed from the warehouse |
What the Commission says
In December 2025 Member States agreed to remove the exemption for goods below EUR 150 and apply a temporary EUR 3 duty on items in small parcels from 2026-07-01. Europäische Kommission, Q&A zur Zollreform (26.3.2026)
One reason: importers were often splitting imports or undervaluing products to avoid duties. Europäische Kommission, Q&A zur Zollreform (26.3.2026)
A handling fee applies at the latest from November 2026; the Commission sets its amount in a delegated act. Europäische Kommission, Q&A zur Zollreform (26.3.2026)
Some articles name a specific handling-fee amount. Those figures are not in the Commission's own Q&A, so this guide does not use them.
Direct versus warehouse: what to compare
The Commission's Q&A gives only one concrete amount. This guide has no verifiable source for the other costs, so it lists the items to compare and gives no verdict.
- Duty per item: EUR 3 for direct small parcels; bulk imports have always been subject to duties. Europäische Kommission, Q&A zur Zollreform (26.3.2026)
- Handling fee: once the amount is published, check the implementing rules for how it is counted.
- Registrations: WEEE, battery and packaging are needed on both routes.
- Warehouse intake: German warehouses check WEEE and battery numbers.
- Speed and returns: a German warehouse usually speeds delivery and returns but adds storage fees.
Bulk imports have always been subject to duties, as the Commission says of traditional retail. Europäische Kommission, Q&A zur Zollreform (26.3.2026)
Items four and five are common practical factors, not published figures.
What is needed on either route
An overseas business selling directly to Germany at a distance is a "manufacturer" under ElektroG and must register. ElektroG § 3 Nr. 9 Buchst. d
German warehouses may not store, pack, address or ship devices of an unregistered manufacturer. ElektroG § 6 Abs. 2 Satz 2 Nr. 3
What this guide did not verify
Not verified here: the number and text of the duty regulation, the handling fee amount and counting method, normal tariff rates per commodity code, and German warehouse prices.