Selling Into Europe During Unrest: Orders and Deliveries

Strikes and protests in Europe rarely stop online orders, but they can stop the trucks, ports, trains and postal routes that deliver them. If you sell to customers in the EU, a single action day can turn a two-day delivery into a week, and a week of silence into a refund request. This guide shows how to keep orders moving, stay within EU consumer rules and protect customer trust when deliveries are disrupted.

Europe has seen a busy period of labor action and protests. On 17 October 2026, cost-of-living protests took place in several European countries at the same time, including France, Italy, Belgium, Portugal, Spain, Greece and Ireland. Belgium had a national public-sector strike on 12 October 2026 that disrupted rail services, and a ground-handling strike at Brussels Airport on 9 October caused about 100 flight cancellations. These events are not one Europe-wide movement, and demands differ by country, but for sellers the practical effect is similar: transport and logistics can slow down with little warning.

This guide is for online sellers, wholesalers and small manufacturers in the US, UK and Europe who ship to EU customers. It covers general information about consumer rules, not legal advice. Check the official consumer rules in the countries you sell to and talk to a qualified adviser about your terms of sale.

How unrest affects deliveries into Europe

Most parcels pass through several hands on the way to a European customer: your warehouse, a carrier or freight forwarder, an airport or seaport, customs, a sorting center and a local delivery network. A strike or protest at any of these points can cause delays.

Strikes in some countries follow set rules that make them easier to plan around. In Italy, strikes in essential public services, including transport, are governed by Law 146/1990: unions must generally give at least 10 days' notice and guarantee minimum services, and an independent body, the Commissione di garanzia, publishes a strike calendar. The Italian transport ministry also lists upcoming transport strikes. In Belgium, unions hold national action days regularly, and the rail operator SNCB/NMBS publishes alternative timetables. Other countries publish less centrally, so local news and carrier alerts become more important.

Know your obligations: EU delivery and return rules

When you sell online to consumers in the EU, the EU Consumer Rights Directive sets baseline rules. National laws build on it, so details can vary between countries, but the core points are the same.

• Delivery within 30 days. Unless you and the customer agreed on a different delivery time, goods must be delivered within 30 days of the purchase.
• 14-day withdrawal right. Consumers buying online generally have 14 days to withdraw from the purchase, with some exceptions such as personalized goods.
• Clear information before purchase. Delivery times, costs and return terms must be shown clearly before the customer pays.

If a delivery is late, the customer can usually set an additional period for delivery and, if the goods still do not arrive, end the contract and get a refund. Where a delivery date was essential and agreed, for example a gift for a specific date, the customer may be able to cancel straight away. A strike affecting your carrier does not normally move this responsibility onto the customer, so plan as if late deliveries are your problem to solve, because in practice they are.

Step by step: what to do when a strike is announced

1. Check the scope. Find out which country, sector and dates are affected. A rail strike in one country may not affect parcels at all, while a postal strike can hit every order to that market.
2. List the orders at risk. Filter open and upcoming orders by destination country and carrier. Flag time-sensitive orders, such as gifts, event items and business supplies.
3. Talk to your carrier or forwarder. Ask which services are affected, how long backlogs are expected to last and what alternatives exist.
4. Adjust delivery estimates. Update the estimates shown at checkout for affected countries before customers place new orders. An honest estimate up front prevents complaints later.
5. Message affected customers. Tell customers with orders in transit what is happening, what you are doing and when you will update them again.
6. Offer choices. Give customers options such as waiting, switching to a faster service, choosing a pickup point or canceling for a refund.
7. Record everything. Save carrier notices, tracking histories and your messages to customers. You will need them for disputes and claims.

How to talk to customers about delays

Customers rarely get angry because a parcel is late. They get angry because nobody told them. A short, honest message sent before they ask turns a potential complaint into a sign that you are on top of things.

What a good delay message includes

• What happened: "A transport strike in Belgium is slowing deliveries this week."
• What it means for them: "Your order may arrive two to four days later than expected."
• What you are doing: "We are monitoring it daily and will update you on Friday."
• Their options: "If you would rather cancel, reply to this email and we will refund you in full."

Write messages in plain language, and translate them into the customer's language if you sell in several countries. Avoid commenting on the reasons for a strike or taking sides. Your customer wants to know when the parcel will arrive, not your opinion.

Build resilience into your European fulfillment

If you sell into Europe regularly, a few structural choices make you far less exposed to any single strike.

• Use more than one carrier. Keep at least one alternative carrier set up and tested for each major market, so switching is a settings change, not a project.
• Consider stock inside the EU. Holding some inventory in an EU warehouse or with a fulfillment partner shortens routes and reduces the number of borders and hubs your parcels cross.
• Avoid single points of failure. If every order passes through one port, airport or sorting hub, a strike there stops everything. Ask your forwarder about alternatives.
• Build buffer time. Add a few days to delivery estimates for markets with frequent action days, especially in busy seasons.
• Plan peak seasons early. Ship stock for holiday periods earlier than usual, because strikes during peak season create backlogs that take longer to clear.

Disruption also affects costs. Euro area inflation was 3.8% in September 2026, with energy inflation at 18.9%, according to Eurostat. Higher energy costs feed into transport prices, and carriers may adjust surcharges. Review your shipping charges and margins regularly rather than absorbing every increase.

Returns, refunds and chargebacks during disruption

Strikes can also slow returns traveling back to you. Plan for that so the 14-day withdrawal process does not turn into a dispute.

• Accept proof of sending. If a customer has sent a return but it is stuck in transit, consider proof of posting as enough to start the refund process, in line with the rules that apply.
• Refund promptly. Delayed refunds are a common trigger for chargebacks. Communicate clearly if there is any wait and why.
• Keep evidence for chargebacks. Tracking histories, carrier strike notices and your emails to the customer are your best defense if a payment is disputed.
• Watch duplicate orders. Some customers reorder when a parcel is late. Check before shipping a second item to the same address.

Frequently asked questions

The bottom line

Unrest in Europe will come and go, but your obligations to EU customers stay the same: deliver within the agreed time or 30 days, respect the 14-day withdrawal right and treat customers fairly when things go wrong. Sellers who watch strike calendars, keep a backup carrier ready and tell customers about delays before they ask lose far fewer orders to disruption.

Use the checklist above to prepare one market at a time, starting with the countries where you sell the most.