Impact of parcel tax persists: 42% fewer small parcels via Liège Airport

The European parcel tax is having an increasingly noticeable impact at Liège Airport. Since the tax was introduced on July 1, the number of small parcels has dropped by 42%, and there has been a 6% decrease in aircraft movements. However, that does not necessarily mean that fewer goods are entering Europe.

Fewer packages, fewer flights

Total cargo volume remains virtually stable: Liège Airport handled 334,467 metric tons of cargo in the third quarter, barely less than the 334,950 metric tons handled during the same period last year. However, the number of aircraft movements did drop by 6% to 6,826. According to the airport, this is primarily due to the European tax of 3 euros on low-cost e-commerce shipments from outside the EU, which took effect on July 1.

Since then, the volume of small packages has fallen by 42%, leading to a corresponding decrease in the number of flights dedicated specifically to e-commerce shipments. The figures confirm the trend that was already evident in July, when the airport recorded 53% fewer small packages than a year earlier. In the first seven weeks, the new tax also generated 223.7 million euros for Belgian customs.

Chinese platforms are adapting

The fact that total freight volume remains stable despite the sharp decline in small packages is consistent with the shift toward larger shipments. Chinese e-commerce platforms such as Shein, Temu, and AliExpress are consolidating orders, encouraging larger shopping carts, and shipping more goods in bulk. They are also building up European inventories.

The parcel tax is therefore definitely having an impact on the logistics of low-cost e-commerce, but for now, much less so on the overall flow of goods. “The weak growth in the third quarter reflects the immediate impact of the new tax on small packages. But viewed over the entire year, the airport continues to grow,” says CEO Laurent Jossart. According to him, the figures demonstrate the airport’s resilience and the diversification of its cargo operations. Exports, in particular, are on the rise: they increased by 18.5%.