Tokyo core inflation slows to 2.6%, still above BOJ target
The October reading matched the market forecast ahead of the Bank of Japan's October 30 policy announcement.
EU to add €2 parcel handling fee on November 1
The charge will apply regardless of parcel value and comes on top of a €3 duty introduced in July for shipments worth less than €150.
The European Union will introduce a €2 customs handling charge on incoming parcels on November 1, covering shipments of any value as the bloc responds to rising volumes of low-cost imports from China.
Platforms, sellers or carriers will pay the charge, with collection handled by the EU’s 27 member states. National governments will keep 25% of the proceeds, while 75% will be directed to the EU budget. An EU official said the fee would fund customs checks, describing e-commerce as imposing disproportionate costs on customs authorities.
The handling charge is separate from a €3 duty imposed in July on small parcels valued below €150. That temporary duty is set to remain until 2028, when a new customs IT system becomes operational. The official said the duty was intended to ensure goods imported into the bloc paid the appropriate customs charges.
The European Commission said the July duty had already affected import volumes, with small-parcel arrivals falling 60% between July and September. Nevertheless, it said 5 million parcels still arrive daily. China accounted for 91% of such shipments in 2024, with platforms including Temu, Shein and AliExpress competing with European retailers.