EU proposes new import duty targeting Shein and Temu online retailers
AliExpress, Shein or Temu customers should hurry up with their orders. The European Commission has proposed a new law that would impose customs duties on every purchase from China. When will the new regulation come into force?
Despite regular protests organised by activists and environmentalists worldwide against Shein, AliExpress, and Temu, millions continue using retail platforms known for selling low-quality products and long delivery times. The European Commission is not happy about the import of Chinese products and has announced a fight against cheap Chinese online retailers.
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The EC plans to change the import duty
The current law imposes a duty on products imported from outside the European Union for orders over €150. However, the European Commission wants to change the regulations to eliminate the lower limit for imposing the duty. This change is expected to mainly affect orders from China, including those from Temu, AliExpress, and Shein. The European Commission reports that in 2023, 2.3 billion items below the €150 duty-free threshold entered the EU.
An anonymous European Commission official told the Financial Times: "The commission already proposed scrapping the duty threshold last year, but it could now seek to speed up its adoption to counter the surge of cheap imports."
New regulation to hit other retail platforms as well?
The planned changes will impact not only products imported from Asia but also all orders from outside the European Union, including the UK, America, or Africa. The European Commission is considering removing the minimum duty threshold for all such orders. This change could affect companies like Amazon, even though Amazon mainly uses European companies to ship orders within the EU.
Currently, the duty amounts to between 3% and 8% of the value of the items ordered. However, the European Commission may set a new amount to charge under the new regulation.
Source: Financial Times
