Brussels wants to apply a €2 tax on every Shein and Temu purchase.
The European Commission intends to cover the cost of customs controls with this new tax.
BrusselsThe EU wants to further complicate the entry of Chinese products into EU territory. In this regard, Brussels is considering applying a flat rate of two euros to each purchase made on Chinese retail platforms that offer all kinds of products at very low prices. like Shein and Temu.
Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič announced in an appearance before the European Parliament that his executive is studying and negotiating the approval of this measure and has argued that the objective is to offset the cost to the European Union of controlling all the millions of retail packages arriving from the giant. "The incoming shipment represents an enormous workload for customs officials," said the representative of the community executive.
In this sense, the head of Trade of the European Commission has assured that it is not a type of tariff or import tax, but rather a "tax" that "simply aims to offset the cost." However, this new proposal would also have to be negotiated and approved by the EU Council – the European institution that represents the Member States – and by the European Parliament.
According to data from the European Commission itself, retail trade through these types of platforms has increased substantially in recent years, and in 2024 the total value of these shipments was around €4.6 billion. This figure doubles the figure recorded in 2023 and triples that of 2022. Furthermore, last year the average purchase did not exceed €22.
This measure, however, is not the only one by the European Commission that directly attacks the business model of these types of Chinese platforms. Last February, for example, Brussels opened an investigation into Shein for unfair competition, and last year it launched another against Temu for the same reason. Furthermore, the EU executive has repeatedly urged the EU Council and the European Parliament to expedite the withdrawal of the tariff exemption for products under €150 and, thus, be able to raise import taxes on low-value items.