Cross-border e-commerce strategies, platforms, payments, and international fulfillment.
The EU scraps its low-value customs relief on July 1, 2026, but three recent signals suggest the fee will not slow Temu and Shein’s European growth this year. Expect adaptation through local fulfillment rather than retreat, with their EU growth likely still positive through Q3.
Belgian shoppers spent a record €18.3bn online in 2025, up 5.4%, according to the Becom Market Monitor. Yet domestic webshops grew only 3.43%, barely above inflation, as Chinese platforms and foreign marketplaces absorbed most of the new spending.
EU finance ministers scrap the 150-euro duty-free threshold. From 1 July every consumer parcel into the bloc faces a minimum 3-euro customs duty, closing the unit-economics gap that powered ultra-fast-fashion marketplaces.
DDP looks simple because the supplier handles duty, but it quietly inflates your unit cost and hides who controls the customs clearance. This guide breaks down DDP versus DAP under Incoterms 2026 with real landed-cost numbers, liability splits, and the negotiation language retail importers actually use.
Trade deep dive: Tools and vendors for cross-border commerce in 2026.
Trade deep dive: The 2026 cross-border compliance changes worth tracking.
Trade deep dive: Cross-border payouts: the hidden friction in your margin.
Trade deep dive: IOSS, OSS and the EU VAT rules for cross-border sellers.
Trade deep dive: Cross-border tax basics every small retailer should know.
Trade deep dive: How to choose your first cross-border market without guessing.