Every day, around 16 million small, low-value packages arrive in the EU, 91% of which come from China.
Many of those parcels contain items that European shoppers order from cheap Chinese online shopping platforms such as Temu, Shein and AliExpress. Until now, parcels valued at less than €150 ($171) were exempt from customs duties.
However, the EU this week ended that exemption and imposed a €3 ($3.40) levy on low-value imports in a move to curb what it sees as unfair competition and keep products that do not meet the bloc's safety standards out of the European market.
"Temu and Shein often fail to comply with legal and regulatory requirements, introduce unsafe products into our market that may pose health risks, and are driving many domestic retailers to the brink of ruin," said Alexander von Preen, president of the German Retail Association (HDE).New tariffs on low-cost goods from ChinaTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
The customs duty exemption cost public finances at least €400 million annually, according to the association.
