France and Italy both attempted to anticipate a future European customs reform regarding small e-commerce parcels. But while Rome has suspended a national tax, Paris is facing lower revenue than expected and massive diversion of e-commerce volumes, at the profit of neighbouring countries.
In France, the temporary e-commerce tax introduced on March 1, 2026 has led to widespread avoidance strategies. Air freight now arrives in neighbouring countries such as Belgium, the Netherlands, etc., and parcels worth less than €150 are then transported by road to France. Since its introduction, this tax (set at €2 per product category, Editor’s note) has generated an average of €2.3 million per month compared with the €41.6 million expected by the French government, based on the assumption o
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Article authors
Sophie Baqué
Chief Editor of mind Retail