Customs offices overloaded – EU is planning a new fee for stores such as Temu and Shein

According to the EU committee, around 4.6 billion packages with a goods value below 22 euros were imported into the EU last year. Due to the fast-growing number of such programs, the committee considers a processing costs for e-commerce goods that have been delivered directly to the consumer to compensate for the costs for customs and market monitoring.

The Commission proposes to the Member States and the European Parliament “to increase processing costs for articles of electronic trade”, which are imported into individual packages. With the reimbursement, the customs authorities of the EU countries must be compensated for the higher costs that occur “in the case of the correct control over these goods that are delivered directly to consumers”.

The EU committee warned the enormous amount of cheap package, which are sent directly to customers in Europe by sellers from China or other third countries. Consumers and environmental authorities lawyers complain that checks and a guarantee of European safety and environmental standards are therefore hardly possible.

Chamber of Commerce: Good that platforms must be responsible
“Chinese platforms such as Temu and Shein use unfair practices that give them competitive benefits. To prevent European trading companies from getting more and more pressure, it is very time for the EU to take effective measures here, ”Rainer Treelik welcomed the proposals of the EU committee in the Chamber of Commerce.

These went “in the right direction to contain the large number of packages from China that we are currently dealing with”. Above all, it is positive that the large online platforms themselves must increasingly be mandatory. “If the platforms have to ensure that everything has its accuracy and that all loads are removed correctly, it also makes control much easier. Because to control tens of thousands of small Chinese stores, European customs authorities are overwhelming.

In the future, online platforms must also check whether the products offered on their platforms are legal and correspond to EU security standards, the Trade Association (HV) in Vienna referred to another point. The EU committee is supported in its proposal as a whole “of full conviction,” said HV director Rainer on Wednesday through broadcast. “It is not possible that European dealers and manufacturers have to adhere to strict requirements every day, while cheap platforms from China flood our market without effective control.” Fair competition is urgently needed, costs for packages from China are an important first step in one direction. “The second step is the immediate cancellation of the 150-Euro customs-free limit,” said another claim.

Lecture -free limit should fall
A central point of the planned reform is the abolition of the previous customs exemption for shipments under 150 euros. The committee has long wanted to abolish this exemption limit. This can also apply to online market places such as Amazon. This is to ensure that all dealers – regardless of their location – have the same competitive conditions. In addition, the EU plans increased the checks and coordinated measures to prevent the sale of uncertain or non-conformed products.

According to the EU committee, 91 percent of all E-commerce import came with a value of a maximum of 150 euros from China last year. The volume has more than doubled since 2023 – from 1.9 billion to 4.17 billion programs.