EU finance ministers have reached an agreement to introduce a €3 duty on every low-value parcel entering the bloc from 1 July next year, aiming to curb the surge of inexpensive goods from platforms such as Shein and Temu.
This decision follows last month’s agreement to abolish the duty-free threshold for parcels valued under €150 sent directly to consumers across the 27-member union, many of which originate from Chinese-based online retailers, reports RTE.
The new fixed charge will be applied on an interim basis until a long-term system for taxing these imports is finalised, according to an EU spokesperson.
In the previous year, some 4.6 billion of these low-value parcels arrived in the European Union (equivalent to over 145 every second), with 91% coming from China. Officials anticipate further increases in volume, reports RTE.
Domestic retailers in Europe argue they are at a disadvantage against foreign e-commerce giants like AliExpress, Shein, and Temu, which they say frequently fail to meet the EU’s strict product safety and regulatory standards.
France has placed particular emphasis on the issue, as the country received approximately 800 million such parcels last year amid growing calls at home for tougher measures, reports RTE.
French Finance Minister Roland Lescure hailed the flat-rate duty as “a major victory for the European Union”.
“Europe is taking concrete steps to protect its single market, its consumers and its sovereignty,” he said, reports RTE.
The initiative is part of broader efforts by the EU to enhance the competitiveness of the continent by reducing bureaucratic burdens on European companies.
In addition to removing the duty exemption, the European Commission proposed a €2 parcel-handling fee in May.
Member states are still negotiating the exact amount of that fee, but they expect it to take effect from late 2026, reports RTE.
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