European Union finance ministers agreed on Friday to set a 3 euro ($3.52) customs duty on low-value parcels arriving in the bloc, part of efforts to crack down on cheap Chinese e-commerce imports such as from online retailers Shein and Temu.
The duty will apply from July 1, 2026, and will be in place until a permanent solution is found to eliminate the “de minimis” duties exemption for online purchases below 150 euros, the EU’s Council of its 27 governments said in a statement.
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The bloc was due to remove the exemption in 2028 as part of an overhaul of its customs system, but pressure to act faster has grown amid concerns about Chinese goods being dumped in Europe.
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The number of low-value e-commerce packages arriving in the bloc doubled last year to 4.6 billion, over 90% of them from China. Imports this year are set to be even higher.
The EU is also considering a separate handling fee, which the European Commission has proposed should be set at 2 euros per parcel. It is not clear when it would be imposed.
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The products are largely illegal to sell in the EU. They regularly fail health standards and safety standards because those are expensive.
That’s why the customer is the importer instead for these apps. You’re allowed to import stuff that is illegal to sell to consumers after all.
Interesting. I had no idea about that.