E-commerce marketing · Industry brief

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The European Parliament has approved a major EU Customs Code reform treating non-EU businesses selling to EU consumers as responsible importers. Non-EU sellers and platforms must now provide customs data, pay customs charges, and ensure product compliance with EU laws, or face fines of 1-6% of annual imported goods value. Companies must be EU-established or represented by an EU-based entity with authorized economic operator or trusted trader status. A new handling fee on items from non-EU web shops will be collected by Member States starting November 1, 2026, with the European Commission setting the exact amount and revising it every two years. A new pan-European customs IT system (EU Data Hub) managed by a newly-established EU Customs Authority based in Lille will replace 111 existing software systems, becoming mandatory by 2034. The reform, the largest customs overhaul since 1968, has been signed into law and will enter into force the next day, with full application expected within twelve months.

Thailand's government has launched significant regulatory reforms affecting e-commerce and digital commerce platforms. The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission published a new master plan (effective 2026-2030) that will impose licensing requirements, content oversight, and consumer protection obligations on previously unregulated internet-based audiovisual services and OTT platforms, addressing regulatory asymmetry with traditional broadcasters. Additionally, Thailand and China signed an intellectual property enforcement memorandum of understanding in July 2026 to strengthen cross-border IP protection on e-commerce platforms and online marketplaces, covering information sharing, enforcement coordination, and training cooperation. Thailand also eased foreign business restrictions for Type 1 telecommunications licensees and certain digital infrastructure services, potentially affecting market entry for foreign e-commerce and technology businesses.