EU Commission moves to end duty-free imports of cheap parcels from third countries
The European Commission is preparing to abolish the customs duty exemption for small parcels valued up to €150, a measure that will directly affect shipments from platforms such as Temu and Shein, according to the Director of Retail Policy at the Commission’s Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs.
She emphasized that the surge in low-cost imports from third-country platforms—particularly Chinese-based companies—creates unfair competition for European retailers and floods the market with products that are often unsafe or fail to comply with EU standards.
According to Commission data, in 2024 nearly 8,000 products per minute entered the EU, with a total value of €4.6 billion, heavily burdening customs and market surveillance authorities. Compliance checks were minimal: only 0.0082% of imported goods were inspected, and just 0.0013% were rejected.
The Commission’s action plan includes:
- Strengthening market surveillance with digital tools.
- Revising customs rules by abolishing the exemption for low-value parcels.
- Strict enforcement of the Digital Services Act.
- Closer cooperation with consumer protection authorities.
- No technical details or implementation timeline were provided.
Finally, the Commission stressed that European policy will continue to prioritize SMEs and local retailers, which are considered vital for the sustainability of local markets.
