The change was decided by the Council of the European Union and applies exclusively to purchases made by individuals in non-EU countries, according to Expresso.

Purchases up to €150 will be subject to VAT, customs duties and, where applicable, the customs clearance service of the Portuguese postal service, CTT.

Different product types

Using the ‘Harmonised Code’, the main change is the application of a fixed duty of 3 euros per product type in the purchase order. As an example, three identical t-shirts count as a single product type and will have a fixed duty of three euros, whereas a t-shirt and a pair of shoes count as two different product types and will therefore have a fixed duty of six euros.

For purchases up to €150, the CTT customs clearance service may cost €7 plus VAT; for orders between €150 and €1,000, the indicated value will be €14. The general customs regime remains in effect for purchases over €150, with duties calculated according to the customs tariff, so the fixed rate of €3 per product type will not apply.

Commercial purchases

Platforms like Shein, Temu, and AliExpress are among the most affected, according to Postal, as orders from these platforms are usually shipped from countries outside the European Union. Offers between private individuals, not purchases made on commercial platforms, will remain exempt from VAT and customs duties for purchases up to 45 euros.

The final amount to be paid will vary depending on the type of order, its origin, the information provided by the seller, and the applicable shipping method.