European Union (EU) finance ministers have agreed to impose a €3 import fee on low-value imports starting July 2026, in a bid to manage the rising number of small parcels entering the bloc from e-commerce platforms such as Shein and Temu.
The decision, announced yesterday, December 12, follows growing concern among EU retailers over what they describe as unfair competition from overseas sellers, particularly from China.
According to official data, 4.6 billion small retail packages were imported into the EU last year, more than 145 every second. Around 91% of those shipments originated from China, and volumes are expected to continue growing.
The new flat-rate fee will be applied per item if packages contain different products. However, for shipments with multiple units of the same product, the duty will only apply once, a spokesperson for the European Council confirmed to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
The measure is temporary and will take effect from July 1, 2026. It will remain in place until a long-term tax structure is finalised by the bloc.
The move follows the EU’s decision to end a previous exemption that allowed packages valued under €150 to enter the 27-member bloc without duties. That exemption had been widely used by Chinese-founded platforms to ship goods directly to European consumers.