Around 4.6 billion parcels valued under 150 euros entered the European market in 2024, equating to over 145 per second, with 91% originating from China, according to community data.
A month ago, finance ministers from the 27 EU member states approved ending customs duty exemptions on these parcels, regardless of origin, with a clear focus on combating the influx of low-cost products from China, sold on platforms like Shein, Temu, or AliExpress, often without complying with European standards.
This measure was already part of the Customs Union reform, which is not expected to be fully effective until 2028, but European leaders now aim to accelerate the timeline and implement a “simple and provisional” interim solution by 2026.
“Four years ago, a billion parcels came from China. Today, it’s more than four billion,” warned French Economy Minister Roland Lescure, quoted by Agence France-Presse. “These parcels present unfair competition to traditional trade, which pays taxes. It is essential to act, and act quickly,” he stated.
France has been leading this initiative in Brussels amid tensions with Shein, following scandals involving the Chinese platform selling child-like sex dolls and Category A weapons.
The main technical difficulty lies in the inability of customs services to monitor these massive import volumes, which has allowed dangerous or counterfeit products to enter.
Imposing fees from 2026, which vary by product type and country of origin, would be a “Herculean task” and could further burden already congested customs services, admit diplomatic sources.
In light of this, the proposal supported by Paris is to apply a fixed fee per package, considered more effective and deterrent than proportional taxation, according to Lescure. “We want the measures to have a real impact,” he emphasized.
The implementation of the measure will depend on defining a viable model. “Will it be January 1st? April 1st? We’ll see. But I want it to be very soon in 2026,” Lescure declared.
A European diplomat warned, however, that the provisional system “is not simple” and will have to be set up with current means, which prevents defining an exact date.
This customs taxation is just the first step in a broader European response to the influx of “made in China” products. From November 2026, Brussels also proposes introducing a processing fee of two euros per package valued under 150 euros.
According to the European Commission, this new fee will serve to finance the improvement of border controls and, along with fee collection, help rebalance competition conditions between European products and those imported from China.
