EU economy ministers agreed this summer to impose a three-euro tax on low-cost packages entering the single market. Currently, packages worth less than 150 euros are exempt from customs taxes, which has led to an increase in purchases of cheap products via e-commerce. But this situation will end on July 1 next year. The measure is provisional and will be in force “until an agreement on a permanent solution to remove the customs duty exemption threshold comes into force”, according to the EU Council.
This new step mainly harms China. 91% of all e-commerce shipments worth less than 150 euros entering the EU originate from China. In 2024, the Community market received products with these characteristics worth €4.6 billion, barely twice as much as the previous year. “This exponential growth is linked to the growth of Chinese e-retailers like Temu and Shein,” states a document from the European Parliament at the end of last July.
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