Five-point-nine billion parcels: why customs cannot inspect its way out of the online product-safety problem
Read the full briefing →Low-value e-commerce has changed the scale of border enforcement. The EU now receives billions of small consignments each year while the proportion physically controlled continues to fall.
- 5.9bn low-value items entered the EU in 2025
- 97%+ of incoming shipments were e-commerce parcels
- 65 customs controls per million imported items
- 387,588 customs controls were recorded in 2025
- 20,040 toys and small electronics were checked in the first 2025 control phase