The European Union has introduced new fees on low-value e-commerce imports from China, marking its first major step to tackle what it says is unfair competition from online retailers such as Shein, Temu and AliExpress.
The charges, which came into force on Wednesday, apply to parcels that previously entered the bloc duty-free if they were worth less than €150. Instead of charging per parcel, the new system applies a fee to each customs classification within a shipment.
A parcel containing three different types of goods will incur a €9 charge, while one containing several identical items, such as dresses or toys, will cost €3.
EU officials say the long-standing exemption no longer reflects today's trading environment, as online shopping has transformed the volume of low-value imports entering Europe.
"In a different trading world this made a lot of sense, but that world doesn't exist anymore. It's been turned on its head by e-commerce, especially from China," said Dirk Gotink, the European Parliament's lead lawmaker on customs reform.
"The exemption was abused and misused on an industrial scale to create a competitive advantage at the expense of EU businesses."
The number of low-value e-commerce parcels entering the EU has risen sharply, increasing from 1.4 billion in 2022 to 5.8 billion in 2025.
Industry experts believe the new charges will reduce the volume of online goods arriving in Europe by air, while consumers are likely to face higher prices as retailers pass on at least some of the additional costs.
Derek Lossing, an e-commerce and air cargo consultant at Cirrus Global Advisors, said shipments into the EU could fall by between 10% and 35% in the coming weeks.
"When the U.S. ended de minimis, Europe was a really good alternative that platforms could shift to – but now there's not a really clear alternative to Europe," he said.
The U.S. ended its own duty exemption for Chinese imports earlier this year, adding pressure on low-cost online marketplaces.
The €3 fee is a temporary measure and is expected to be replaced by category-specific duties when the EU's new Customs Authority begins operating in July 2028.
Shein has already expanded its warehouse capacity in Poland to ship more products into the EU in bulk ahead of the changes. The company and Temu did not comment on the new measures.
AliExpress said products affected by the rules would be labelled to show when duties and VAT are included in the price, while customers buying other imported goods would see a breakdown of charges before completing their purchase.
Amazon said 97% of its EU orders last year were fulfilled from warehouses within the bloc. For products shipped from outside the EU, customers will also be be shown any import charges before checking out.
Russian strikes hit several parts of Ukraine overnight, injuring at least six people and targeting energy and port infrastructure, as President Vol...
Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis said on Monday they had targeted Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline pumping stations and King Khalid In...
Serbia's Aleksandar Vučić ...
Serbia's Aleksandar Vučić has conceded defeat after a student-led protest movement took the majority of seats in Sunday's parliamentary elections.
Uzbekistan summoned Iran’s ambassador following claims by several Iranian diplomatic missions that the historical and architectural heritage of Samarkand belongs to Persian or Iranian-Islamic civilisation, Tashkent's Foreign Ministry said.
Iran's Supreme National Security Council says senior officials from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye will travel to Tehran to discuss regional security.
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has returned to the South American nation almost a year after she secretly left the country to travel to Norway for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony.
At least five people were killed and several others injured in overnight attacks across Russia and Ukraine on Sunday, 25 October, as officials reported strikes on residential areas and industrial facilities, while Moscow claimed to have targeted logistics infrastructure and a cargo vessel.
Russian strikes hit several parts of Ukraine overnight, injuring at least six people and targeting energy and port infrastructure, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said U.S. warnings about imminent Russian ballistic missile attacks had resumed.
Serbia's Aleksandar Vučić has conceded defeat after a student-led protest movement took the majority of seats in Sunday's parliamentary elections.
Tensions between North and South Korea have escalated after Pyongyang challenged Seoul’s account of a September landmine incident in a letter to the UN Security Council, as North Korean artillery was spotted near the heavily fortified border.
Iran's Supreme National Security Council says senior officials from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye will travel to Tehran to discuss regional security.
Elections are shaking up the political landscape worldwide, with Lula securing a fourth term in Brazil, Serbia's student-led movement claiming victory and Bulgaria heading for a runoff, as Israel and New Zealand prepare for crucial votes.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment