Receiving a package from Temu or Shein will cost two euros more starting Sunday

BrusselsStarting this Sunday, receiving a package from companies like Shein, Temu, or AliExpress will cost two euros more. On November 1st, the two-euro (2.5 dollar) tax that Brussels has imposed on all shipments from countries outside the European Union comes into effect to try to curb the influx of Chinese products. The new customs management tax arrives on the eve of particularly intense commercial dates, such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the Christmas shopping fever.

The levy will be applied to each type of item sent in a package from outside the EU, regardless of its value. Thus, for example, if the package includes ten mugs, the management fee will be two euros. But if it contains three mugs and three plates, the fee will be four euros. The European executive ensures that the tax will be paid by the sellers – among which are both the North American Amazon and the Chinese AliExpress and Temu – and the intermediaries. However, it can be expected that companies will pass the increase on to the final price.

According to the European Commission, the new levy seeks to put an end to the "unfair competition" suffered by traditional shops against large Chinese commercial platforms. Brussels considers that e-commerce poses a disproportionate cost to customs authorities. Therefore, the money collected will be used to fund controls to detect the entry of illegal products into the European market.

9 out of 10 shipments come from China

The levy will be added to the EU's existing three-euro tariff on small shipments (under 150 euros), in force until July 2028, which aimed to level the playing field with large-scale goods shipments. According to the European Commission, this tariff has reduced the average number of low-value parcel shipments within the community territory by more than 60% during these first three months.

However, more than five million items still enter every day. Around 93% of these cheap packages arrive in Europe from China, generally through the aforementioned Asian platforms such as AliExpress and Temu. If the current rate of shipments (about 150 million packages per month) were maintained, it could be possible to collect about 3.6 billion euros annually. But the European Commission is reluctant to make projections, as the platforms' business model may vary.