Brussels assassination attempt at the hardware hacker
SubscribeSign in
Brussels assassination attempt at the hardware hacker<br>The EU aimed at the fast fashion kingpins, but accidentally put a sniper’s dot on the home workbench.
Axel<br>Aug 13, 2026
Share
For years, the de minimis exemption made it economically feasible to import small batches of components valued under €150. But with the explosion of direct-to-consumer (DTC) fast fashion out of Asia, coupled with headlines about PFAS-dripping clothes, the EU decided to intervene.
As a stop gap solution Brussels decided to introduce a €3 fee per customs code (HS code) on de minimis parcels from outside the EU. To the seasoned hardware hacker the impact of this was obvious.
You see, if you order ten pairs of socks, they all fall under a single HS code. You get hit with one €3 fee.
One resistor, and a pile of socks from Shein each incurring a €3 fee.<br>For electronics, it gets more complicated. If you order a finished Bluetooth speaker, that is one HS code, thus one fee. But let’s say you designed the simplest circuit possible: an LED that lights up. You order the parts to build it—a custom bare PCB (one HS code), some resistors (a second HS code), and an LED (a third). You just triggered a fee of 3 × €3 = €9.
The old days of manually picking and placing tiny SMD components ordered from China or the US are dead. Brussels killed them.
Adapting to the New META
To make matters worse, this €3 fee structure isn’t even the final boss, it’s merely a temporary band-aid. The EU introduced this flat fee as a transitional system until mid-2028, when full, itemized customs tariffs will replace it entirely. But the hardware hacker doesn’t die quite so easily, and a new META is forming for building your own prototypes today:
Path A: Surrender to China Ironically, in a bid to protect the European market, Brussels forced European hardware innovation to outsource to China from the get-go. If we follow your LED circuit again, you simply ask the PCB manufacturer to fully assemble the board. Suddenly, that is one finished product with one HS code, meaning you only pay a single €3 fee.
Path B: The Electrokit Route Named after my favorite Swedish hardware store, this path utilizes the more limited European supply chain. This route uses pre-made modules from China (still just one €3 fee, remember) or Europe to the greatest extent possible.<br>Very common “jellybean” components are ordered in bulk and stocked yourself (TIP: A sample book of 0603 resistors and capacitors goes a long way). Retailers in Europe also have a limited supply of components, which luckily seems to be increasing slightly. This means if you take sourcing into account when designing projects, you can find suitable silicon for many purposes.
The Cost of Innovation
The hardware hacker has always stood out for its ability to adapt. We survived global silicon shortages; this is but a scratch. But we shouldn’t pretend nothing was lost. The EU took aim at fast fashion, but grassroots creators ended up in the crosshairs.
All Brussels did was make it a bit harder, and a lot more expensive, for the next generation of engineers to figure out the reality of hardware.
Subscribe
Share
Discussion about this post<br>CommentsRestacks
TopLatest
No posts
Ready for more?
Subscribe
© 2026 Axellabs · Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice<br>Start your SubstackGet the app<br>Substack is the home for great culture
This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. Please turn on JavaScript or unblock scripts