EU introduces €3 customs charge on small parcels to curb cheap Chinese imports

Civil society consumer groups warned last year that EU cities and towns were facing ‘an avalanche of cheap imports’ shipped by platforms such as Temu and Shein. Photograph: Richard Drew/AP View image in fullscreen Civil society consumer groups warned last year that EU cities and towns were facing ‘an avalanche of cheap imports’ shipped by platforms such as Temu and Shein. Photograph: Richard Drew/AP EU introduces €3 customs charge on small parcels to curb cheap Chinese imports Parcels of goods worth under €150 will no longer enjoy ‘de minimis’ exemption, exploited by platforms such as Temu and Shein Business live – latest updates The European Commission has said it hopes to prevent the “desertification” of Europe’s high streets, as it prepares to introduce a customs tax on small parcels in an attempt to curb cheap Chinese imports. Consumers have been able to buy up to €150 (£129) worth of goods, including fast fashion, cosmetics and toys, without any customs charges as part of a “de minimis” exemption, a tariff break meaning “too small to matter”. From Wednesday, small parcels under that value will now be subject to the new €3 customs charge and officials are hoping the end of de minimis will slow the rapid rise in imports from China. They said on Monday the number of low value parcels coming into the bloc had more than quadrupled, from 1.3bn in 2022 to 5.9bn in 2025. About 90% of the parcels are coming from China, with competition from online including platforms Shein and Temu hitting European retailers hard. Online shopping had “contributed to the decline of traditional retail and the desertification of cities, affecting local jobs and community life”, a senior official said on Monday. Last year civil society consumer groups said EU cities and town were facing “an avalanche of cheap imports shipped by Temu, Shein and other third-country e-commerce platforms”, which were threatening to devastate the European economy and forcing businesses to close. The EU justice commissioner, Michael McGrath, also expressed “shock” at the dangers of some of the items entering the EU through the de minimis route. EU research disclosed on Monday showed that 60% of online products imported from outside the bloc were not compliant with EU law, potentially endangering the consumer. Cosmetics and toys raised the most concerns about safety, with 65% of imports in both categories failing EU standards. Online shoppers opting for non-EU food supplements were also endangering themselves, with 63% of those products failing strict health and public safety tests. And professional personal protective equipment ranging from hard hats to reinforced shoes from outside the bloc were also a high risk purchase, with 60% not compliant with EU law. Last month, EU regulators fined Temu €200m (£173m) for failing to stop the sale of illegal and dangerous products. skip past newsletter promotion after newsletter promotion EU officials hope the €3 tax will make some consumers think twice,