Published on
01/07/2026 - 7:45 GMT+2
The era of duty-free shopping from SHEIN, Temu and AliExpress is ending. From 1 July, the EU is scrapping the customs exemption that let parcels worth under €150 enter the bloc tax-free, and introducing a flat €3 duty per item instead.
The change targets a system the Commission says has been quietly distorting the market for years. More than two billion small parcels arrive in the EU annually, most valued below €150; Brussels estimates a large share carry incorrect valuations or unclear safety information.
By shipping millions of individual orders straight from China, platforms avoided import duties altogether, a loophole regulators say gave them an unfair advantage over EU retailers.
