The Spanish government will strengthen controls on packages up to 150 euros from Shein or Amazon

BarcelonaThe Spanish government has proposed strengthening controls on imports and e-commerce packages from Amazon, Shein, and Temu valued at up to €150. These are some of the measures that Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo presented to representatives of the 17 autonomous communities at the Interterritorial Council for Internationalization meeting, held at the Pedralbes Palace in Barcelona. Given the context of US tariff policies under Donald Trump, with imports, like exports, on the rise, and although border controls are effective and thorough, "a further step is necessary regarding industrial products to guarantee competition and consumer protection," he explained at a press conference alongside Catalan Minister Sámper. This plan, developed in coordination with the autonomous communities, aims to ensure that there are no "weak points" for the entry of products that do not meet European requirements. Therefore, they are also working in coordination with the European Commission. The intention is to expand the list of industrial products, working in conjunction with the sectors involved. And greater control over small packages, up to 150 euros, which were previously exempt from tariffs and duties, but are now not. The goal, he said, is "to ensure they compete on a level playing field with domestic products and with guarantees of consumer protection." This is especially focused on textiles, footwear, and toys. The Minister explained that a working group will be created with e-commerce platforms, such as Amazon and Shein, to address the safety of the products they sell and the creation of an early warning system in coordination with the regional governments to anticipate risks or fraud that could affect businesses. The idea, as the Minister explained to ARA, is to follow the approach used with financial institutions to prevent the closure of bank branches in rural areas and to improve services for the elderly; that is, through the involvement of the sector, rather than through mandatory regulations and laws. The Minister of Economy has announced that the foreign trade data to be published this Thursday will reflect, in terms of exports, "one of the best years in history," despite the challenges in the international arena. It is within this context of strong growth in the foreign trade sector that he has framed the measures to protect sectors and consumers from industrial products that do not comply with European regulations. For his part, Sàmper has stated that the Catalan government's plans for 2026-2030 aim to add approximately 2,000 more exporting companies to the 18,000 that currently export regularly by the end of the period. These companies will each sell to at least five countries for a minimum value of 5 million euros. Therefore, 30 million euros in aid has been allocated to 1,000 companies. The regional minister has stated that US tariff policies have affected Catalan exports to the US worth approximately €2 billion, representing 67% of total exports. This is all being done under the umbrella of diversification: exports to China, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, and other countries.