UK-headquartered music merchandise and e-commerce specialist BSI Merch & Artist Services (BSI) is expanding its Berlin office and fulfilment centre ahead of significant new EU customs duty changes coming into force on July 1, 2026.
The move is designed to protect UK-based artists, labels and music businesses from new per-item import charges that will affect low-value direct-to-consumer (D2C) parcels entering the European Union.
Andy Allen, founder and CEO of BSI Merch & Artist Services (BSI), said: “This new customs duty fundamentally changes the economics of UK & ROW-to-EU D2C merchandise shipments. Rather than asking our partners to absorb that friction or pass it onto fans we’ve invested in infrastructure that removes the problem entirely. Our expanded Berlin hub means UK artists can sell to EU fans as easily as domestic trade, even after July 2026.”
From July 1, the EU will introduce a fixed €3 customs duty on low-value parcels (under €150) entering the EU from non-EU territories. Multi-item baskets may trigger multiple charges.
This proposal is designed as an interim measure and is in addition to the proposed €2 customs handling fee likely to be introduced in November 2026. It will remain in force until the EU’s broader customs reform package becomes operational, including the EU Customs Data Hub scheduled for launch in 2028.
Once that system is live, low-value e-commerce imports will move to a permanent regime under which standard EU customs tariffs apply, based on the nature and classification of the goods rather than a flat rate. This will mean that in 2028 the €150 duty exemption value on goods will be eliminated and the duty will apply on every order.
Our expanded Berlin hub means UK artists can sell to EU fans as easily as domestic trade, even after July 2026
Andy Allen
For D2C music commerce where bundled products, apparel and physical formats, and multi-item baskets are common, these per-item charges risk creating a number of prohibitive sales and delivery barriers including increased landed costs, unexpected delivery fees for fans, slower customs clearance and a poorer customer experience.
With inventory stored and fulfilled directly from Berlin, BSI clients can now ship EU customer orders domestically within the EU, avoiding UK-to-EU import procedures for those deliveries.
In addition to fulfilment, BSI can also operate and manage full-service e-commerce stores for its clients, ensuring compliance and operational efficiency across the entire EU sales process.
Running operations from within the EU also enables BSI to manage the EU VAT element directly, simplifying compliance for UK partners navigating post-Brexit trade complexity. For rights-holders and independent artists, this removes the administrative burden of cross-border VAT registration, reporting and payment.
Andy Allen added: “For UK music businesses, July 2026 isn’t just a regulatory change, it’s a margin and conversion issue. When a fan in Germany or France orders a bundle and gets hit with multiple import charges at delivery, that impacts trust and future purchasing behaviour. By fulfilling orders from Berlin, we remove that friction entirely. Our clients can continue selling into the EU with clarity, speed and confidence, without the need to re-engineer their entire operation.”
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