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EU to charge 3 euros on packages from Temu, Shein, AliExpress
🇬🇹 Guatemala /Economy & Trade

EU to charge 3 euros on packages from Temu, Shein, AliExpress

From Prensa Libre · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified New plan
  • The European Union will implement a 3-euro fee on packages valued up to 150 euros starting July 1, aiming to curb the influx of cheap imports, primarily from China.
  • This fee, applied per product type within a package, will be paid by online platforms or importers, who may pass the cost to consumers.
  • The temporary measure, in effect until July 2028, precedes a broader customs reform that will eliminate the long-standing duty exemption for low-value shipments.

The European Union is set to introduce a 3-euro charge on packages valued at up to 150 euros, effective July 1. This move targets the surge in low-cost imports, particularly from China, flooding the European market via online platforms like Temu, Shein, and AliExpress.

E-commerce has led to a dramatic increase in these low-value packages, with European customs processing 15 million daily. This volume hinders efforts to ensure compliance with EU regulations and combat fraud. The new fee will be applied per product type within a package. For instance, a package containing one pair of trousers and twenty t-shirts would incur a 6-euro charge, while one with trousers, a t-shirt, and a cap would be 9 euros.

We will monitor the situation.

— Léa AuffretLéa Auffret, head of international affairs at BEUC, commented on the implementation of the fee and consumer responsibility.

Online platforms or importers will be responsible for paying these fees, though they may pass the costs onto consumers. The consumer organization BEUC notes that platforms might increase prices without specifying the fee's portion. However, they must inform consumers of the final purchase price before payment to prevent unexpected charges upon delivery. BEUC stated that courier or postal services cannot charge recipients directly, and consumers will only be responsible in "residual" cases.

This temporary fee will remain in place until July 1, 2028, when a more comprehensive EU customs reform will take effect. This reform will remove the duty exemption for packages under 150 euros, a benefit in place since the 1980s, and begin imposing tariffs based on contents. The temporary fee was adopted in December by EU governments eager to address the urgent issue, as the volume of these cheap shipments has quadrupled since 2022, reaching an estimated 5.9 billion packages in 2025.

only in residual cases will the consumer be the direct responsible party for the fee.

— Léa AuffretLéa Auffret, head of international affairs at BEUC, clarified that consumers would rarely be directly liable for the new EU package fee.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Prensa Libre in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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