The EU will charge tariffs on Shein and Temu packages under 150 euros
Member States aim to curb imports from China and ensure fairer competition for European manufacturers
BrusselsThe European Union continues to restrict Chinese imports. Member states agreed on Thursday to remove the exemption from customs duties on packages arriving in the bloc valued at less than €150. The agreement comes just after the United States took a similar measure and following a significant increase in small products that China sells to European citizens. especially through platforms like Shein or Temu
Brussels' proposal was to eliminate this exemption starting in 2028, but the national governments have opted to bring forward the implementation of the legislative reform. Thus, they have agreed to implement a transitional and temporary measure so that these tariffs will begin to be collected next year, before the final law comes into effect.
The aim of the measure is to put an end to fraudulent practices carried out on these types of platforms. The European Commission itself reports that packages are often broken down into smaller parts to avoid exceeding the €150 threshold and, therefore, avoid paying the tariffs imposed by the EU. It also aims to guarantee fairer competition for European manufacturers against low-cost products that often do not comply with EU legislation. "Our estimates indicate that up to 65% of small packages entering the EU are undervalued to avoid customs duties," states the press release announcing the agreement between the EU member states.
![Imagen de los logos de Shein y Temu.](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 16 9"%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The European Commission warns in its legislative proposal that, although these types of transactions may seem insignificant to the bloc's trade, they have increased substantially in recent years, reaching a total value of around €4.6 billion in 2024. This figure is double that recorded in 2023 and triple that of 2022, with each purchase averaging less than €22.
Furthermore, member states, as well as the European Commission, also point out that sending packages from China to the bloc generates significant pollution and urge consumers to choose European and locally sourced products.
