Source: AirCargoNews
Date: 14th August 2026 

E-commerce shipments through Liège fell 41% in July compared with June following the introduction of the EU’s new €3 charge on low-value parcels, providing an early indication of how the new rules are reshaping European air cargo flows.

The impact of the European Union’s new e-commerce rules is becoming increasingly visible at one of Europe’s largest cargo gateways.

E-commerce shipments entering the Liège Bierset customs zone fell 24% year on year in July and 41% compared with June, after the EU introduced a €3 charge on parcels valued below €150 at the beginning of the month.

Customs declarations also declined 52% year on year, indicating a significant change in low-value import activity.

Cargo flows are already adapting. The decline does not necessarily mean e-commerce demand has disappeared. Instead, the figures suggest logistics operators are beginning to reorganise how goods enter Europe.

While business-to-consumer shipments below €150 fell sharply, shipments valued above the threshold increased 10%, according to customs information cited by the airport.

This suggests that operators may already be adjusting shipment structures and moving towards higher-value consignments.

The change has also coincided with reduced freighter activity between China and Europe, adding to signs that the new rules are influencing international air cargo networks.

Liège’s overall cargo business remains resilient. Importantly, the decline in e-commerce did not translate into an overall fall in cargo volumes at Liège.

The airport handled 114,064 tonnes in July, up 4% year on year, despite aircraft movements declining 4%.

Growth in pharmaceuticals, data-centre equipment and flowers helped offset weaker e-commerce activity.

Liège had already recorded 11.3% cargo growth during the first half of 2026, placing it among Europe’s major air cargo hubs.

More changes could follow. The July figures provide one of the clearest early indications that Europe’s new treatment of low-value e-commerce shipments can rapidly influence cargo flows.

Further adjustments could emerge later this year, with a separate €2 processing fee expected in November 2026.

For airlines, freight forwarders and e-commerce logistics operators, this could lead to further changes in shipment consolidation, gateway selection and freighter capacity deployment.

What This Means

• Businesses moving e-commerce cargo into Europe should increasingly assess total landed cost rather than transportation cost alone. Shipment value, customs processing, consolidation strategy and the choice of European gateway could all affect the economics of cross-border e-commerce.
• The most important signal from Liège is therefore not simply that volumes declined; it is how quickly logistics flows began adapting once the new charge took effect.

Europe’s changing e-commerce rules demonstrate how quickly regulatory measures can reshape international cargo flows.

For importers and e-commerce businesses, maintaining flexibility across airfreight, customs clearance, consolidation and European distribution gateways will become increasingly important as the market adjusts.