Italy's controversial €2 charge on small parcels from non-EU countries may not arrive until October 2027, pending approval of amendments currently under review in the Chamber Budget Committee. A full 21 months after its original launch date, the latest postponement follows a fresh push by Lega and Forza Italia to delay implementation yet again. The move underscores the political and logistical headaches caused by overlapping European and national tax policies on cross-border e-commerce.
The €2-per-package levy, first written into the 2026 budget law to take effect on January 1, 2026, has now been postponed three times. After being bumped to July 1, then to October 1, 2026, the latest proposal seeks to push the start date all the way to October 1, 2027. Two identical amendments to the infrastructure and PNRR decree, currently under review in the Chamber Budget Committee, would authorize the one-year extension. The €183.8 M revenue gap would be covered by the Fund for Structural Economic Policy Interventions.
Why the Repeated Delays?
The primary driver of the postponements is the €3 EU-wide duty that went live on July 1, 2026. That levy applies to each item in shipments valued under €150 from outside the European Union, and was designed to level the playing field between European retailers and ultra-low-cost platforms like Shein, AliExpress, and Temu, which accounted for 91% of the 4.6 billion mini-packages imported into the EU in 2024.
Stacking Italy's €2 national charge on top of the European €3 tariff would have created an immediate €5 combined cost per parcel—plus VAT—sparking alarm among logistics operators and customs brokers. Confetra and FIAP, Italy's leading freight and logistics associations, warned that a double charge could trigger a 50% drop in parcel traffic through Italian customs hubs, as operators reroute clearance operations to Belgium, the Netherlands, or Hungary where no additional national fee applies.
The October 2027 proposal from Lega and Forza Italia now leapfrogs an earlier amendment by the Five Star Movement (M5S), which had sought only a delay until January 2027. The extended timeline reflects both technical and competitive concerns: Italy's Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM) needed time to upgrade its IT systems, and the government is awaiting clarity on a separate EU-wide handling fee of roughly €3, expected to roll out by November 2026 to cover administrative costs. Once that EU fee is operational, Brussels has indicated that national administrative charges should be phased out to avoid duplication.
Impact on Online Shoppers and Retailers
For anyone in Italy ordering from non-EU sellers, the immediate consequence is the €3 EU duty already in effect since July 1, 2026. That tariff applies to items in shipments valued under €150. With Italy's 22% VAT applied on top, each €3 duty becomes €3.66 at checkout.
Major platforms have begun displaying "import charges" at the point of sale, and some—like Shein—are responding by opening warehouses inside the EU to bypass the duty altogether. When ordering, check whether items ship from EU warehouses—these avoid both the €3 duty and VAT surcharges entirely, often making 'EU stock' listings significantly cheaper even if the base price appears higher. If Italy's €2 national fee eventually takes effect in October 2027, it would add another layer, though by then the EU's handling fee may have superseded it.
For Italian consumers, the practical takeaway is straightforward: expect higher prices on small-value imports from China and other third countries, and watch for potential changes in delivery times as sellers restructure their logistics networks.
What Comes Next for the Levy
The Chamber Budget Committee is reviewing the amendments this week. If approved, the October 2027 delay would grant Italy a 16-month breathing room after the EU duty took effect—time to align with Brussels' broader customs reform and avoid a chaotic overlap.
The European Union's longer-term plan is to replace the temporary €3 flat rate with a fully digital system—the EU Customs Data Hub—set to launch on July 1, 2028. That platform will calculate duties based on actual product value, origin, and classification, rather than a flat per-item charge, and will centralize declarations across all member states.
Until then, Italy's logistics sector remains on edge. The repeated postponements have created uncertainty for freight forwarders, customs brokers, and e-commerce operators, many of whom have already adjusted routes and capacity in anticipation of the national charge. If the October 2027 date holds, Italy will have spent nearly two years deliberating a measure originally billed as a simple administrative fee.
Other Amendments in the Infrastructure Decree
The same legislative package contains several other noteworthy proposals with cross-party backing:
Beach Concessions Overhaul: A joint amendment from Forza Italia, PD, M5S, and the Mixed Group would allow municipalities and regions to award seaside concessions not only based on legal requirements but also on the highest economic bid. The change would let local governments capture additional revenue by prioritizing financially advantageous offers.
Milan Metro M4 Extension: Three identical amendments from Lega, PD, and Italia Viva seek €639 M in funding to extend the M4 metro line to Segrate, a suburb east of Milan. The spending would be phased from 2026 through 2035, with the largest annual outlays—€96 M—scheduled for 2030–2034. Funding would again come from the Fund for Structural Economic Policy Interventions.
Uninsured Vehicle Crackdown: A Lega-only amendment proposes that the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport (MIT) compile a monthly registry of vehicles without mandatory RC Auto (civil liability) insurance. Owners would receive a notice and have 30 days to comply; failure to insure would trigger referral to judicial authorities. The measure aims to reduce the estimated hundreds of thousands of uninsured vehicles on Italian roads, a persistent enforcement challenge.
What This Means for Residents
If you regularly order clothing, electronics, or household goods from Chinese platforms, budget for the €3.66 effective cost (duty plus VAT) per product category in each shipment. Before completing checkout, look for line items labeled 'import duty,' 'customs charges,' or 'DDP' (Delivered Duty Paid). If these don't appear on orders from non-EU sellers, duties may be collected on delivery by the courier, potentially with additional handling fees of €5-15. Check your order confirmation carefully—some platforms are now breaking down import charges by item type before you pay.
Logistics professionals and small-business importers should monitor the Chamber's vote on the October 2027 delay. If it passes, it buys time to adapt systems and may forestall the revenue loss feared by industry groups. However, the repeated changes make long-term planning difficult, and the competitive risk of traffic diversion to other EU hubs remains real.
For municipalities along the coast, the beach concession amendment could shift how waterfront leases are awarded, potentially raising local revenues but also inviting legal challenges over transparency and fairness in bidding.
And if you drive an uninsured vehicle, be aware: enforcement is tightening, and the grace period for compliance may soon shrink to 30 days before judicial action.
