US EditionEU seeks faster crackdown on China parcels that could hit Shein, Temu
EU ministers agreed to scrap the €150 duty exemption on small Chinese parcels to protect local retailers; 91% of 4.6 billion small parcels last year came from China, officials said.
- On Thursday, EU finance ministers agreed to scrap the bloc-wide duty exemption on low-value orders from Temu and Shein, with France welcoming the proposal for approval on December 12.
- Because of a surge in small parcels, European retailers say they face unfair competition from AliExpress, Shein and Temu as over 145 parcels per second entered the EU last year, 91 percent from China.
- Under current rules, the EU commission proposed scrapping the 150 euros threshold and introducing a two euros handling fee, as Lescure told AFP.
- Operationally, implementing the measures will require customs systems and personnel upgrades, and some EU member states have already acted—Romania imposed a five‑euro fee.
- Chinese trade experts warned the accelerated timeline and unilateral fees would shift pressure onto European consumers, while Mao Ning urged the EU to provide an open, transparent and non-discriminatory environment.
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86 Articles
The EU wants to take stronger action against cheap imports from China and other non-EU countries. Packages worth less than 150 euros should no longer be duty-free in the future.
Shein and Temu send 400,000 parcels to German customers every day, many of them duty-free, which is likely to end soon. The EU wants to ensure fair competition and prevent fraud.
The lifting of this exemption mainly targets millions of packages from China, particularly via Shein and Temu.
Shipments from outside the EU are now duty-free up to 150 euros, but there are many problems with the dumping of cheap Asian products, so I would abolish the exemption.
The removal of the exemption from customs duties on packages imported into Europe could come into force in the first quarter of 2026. Processing costs of 2 euros per package could also be added.
The European Union is preparing to introduce tariffs on small packages as early as 2026. This decision aims to counter the massive influx of cheap products from China. Platforms such as Shein and...
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