If you sell internationally from the UK, the last 12–18 months haven’t just been “business as usual with more paperwork”. We’re seeing fundamental rule changes across key global markets that are reshaping how cross-border trade actually works: operationally, commercially and at checkout.
What used to be a relatively forgiving system for low-value parcels, light-touch customs and post-purchase charges is being replaced by something far more structured, regulated and, in many cases, more expensive.
And crucially: these are not temporary disruptions. They are structural shifts. Let’s look at what’s already happening.
The Global Shift: What’s Changing in Key Markets?
USA: The End of De Minimis
The $800 duty-free de minimis route has now been suspended for commercial shipments.
That means:
- More parcels are being forced into formal, duty-paid entry
- Higher costs and more paperwork
- More customs friction and clearance delays
For many UK retailers, the US used to be the “easy” international market. That assumption no longer holds.
(more updates on USA tariffs expected as this is a developing situation)
European Union: €150 Relief Is Going Away
The EU is moving to remove the €150 customs duty relief threshold in 2026.
This will mean:
- Far more parcels attracting duties and fees
- Increased customs scrutiny
- More complexity in pricing, checkout logic and delivery promises
In other words: international checkout is about to get harder, not easier.
Thailand: Low-Value Import Relief Removed
From 1st January 2026, Thailand has removed low-value import relief entirely.
Parcels that previously sailed through under small-value thresholds are now subject to:
- Duties and taxes
- Additional processing
- More friction and delays
Saudi Arabia: Address Data Is Now a Clearance Issue
Also from 1st January 2026, Saudi Arabia has made the National / Short Address mandatory.
Poor address data is no longer just:
A customer experience problem
It is now:
- A delivery failure risk
- A customs clearance risk
- A cost and returns risk
Why This Is Bigger Than “Another Customs Update”
Individually, each of these changes looks manageable. Together, they point to something much bigger:
Cross-border eCommerce is moving from a low-friction, exception-tolerant model to a high-compliance, high-precision model.
The old approach of:
“Ship it and let the customer deal with the charges and complexity”
Is now actively:
- Hurting conversion
- Increasing delivery failures
- Creating post-purchase complaints
- Killing international growth momentum
The Real Question: Where Is Growth Supposed to Come From Now?
For many retailers, international growth used to mean:
- Add more countries
- Turn on more carriers
- Hope the operational complexity sorts itself out
That playbook no longer works.
The retailers who will still win internationally in 2026 and beyond will be the ones who:
- Design customs, duties and compliance into the checkout experience
- Control the commercial and CX impact of regulation
- Choose routes to market strategically, not just geographically
- Build delivery models that reduce friction, not shift it to the customer
This is exactly what we’re unpacking in our upcoming webinar:
Join the Discussion: Where’s Left to Grow? How Retailers Can Win in New Global Markets
We’ll be exploring:
- How the global rules of eCommerce are changing
- What this means for international expansion strategies
- Where growth opportunities still exist — and what model they require
- How leading retailers are adapting their delivery, customs and fulfilment approach
Read more and register here: https://hubs.ly/Q03_h9P-0
2 Responses
We are a tiny business and it’s just getting more and more unachievable to ship outside the UK.
We noticed more customers from Italy saying “Where’s my packet”
Tracking on Poste Italiane is terrible and just shows delivered.
We use another tracker which showed the packets were at a collection point/post office.
Why?
Possibly this wonderful new 2 Euro charge!
Then there’s this new euro charge coming.
When you add it to Royal Mail’s
Charge, fuel surcharge, green surcharge, peak season surcharge.
Ebay’s 15% charge plus shop subscription charge, plus outside the UK charge of 2.5 % (from memory)
That pie is so minimal at the end it won’t fill you or provide you with a meal unless you sell thousands!
I must try harder!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Even the EU is no longer the harmonised market it was supposed to be, with each country having different environmental, packaging waste, VAT etc requirements.
When Brexit happened (10 years ago, feels like yesterday !) we already saw the writing on the wall and focused all our growth efforts on the UK internal market. That has paid dividends.
But the poorly negotiated Windsor agreement is making Northern Ireland challenging, and governments of all flavours seem to think e-commerce is the new cash cow (even though in reality margins are often razor-thin) while heaping ever more regulations onto the sector. This stacks on top of inflation-busting price increases and poorer service from shipping and software providers.
I am starting to seriously consider whether returning to a bricks & mortar shop might be more profitable. Assuming I can find a premises somewhere sandwiched between a nail bar and a barber !