Online trade In future, cheap goods imported into the EU will also be subject to customs duties
Online retailers such as Shein, Temu, AliExpress and Co are to pay more customs duties on their shipments to the EU in future. At a meeting in Brussels, the majority of EU finance ministers voted in favor of abolishing the current 150 euro exemption limit.
13.11.2025, 16:47
SDA
This was stated by Danish Minister Stephanie Lose after the meeting. Denmark currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU. In future, customs duties will therefore be levied on all goods imported into the EU from the first euro. It remains to be seen whether cheap products will become more expensive as a result.
The move is intended to combat distortion of competition and fraud. The abolition is a clear signal from the EU that the flooding of European markets with large quantities of cheap imported goods from third countries - particularly from Asia - is unacceptable, it was said.
Reform for fairer competition ahead
The decision is based on a proposal from the EU Commission. The new regulation is to apply from 2028, when a digital platform for processing and monitoring is also to be launched. However, the member states want to introduce a transitional solution as early as next year.
The abolition of the 150 euro exemption limit is intended to ensure that all retailers - regardless of their location - have the same competitive conditions. Until now, no customs duty has had to be paid if the value of the goods is less than 150 euros.
The new regulations are also intended to tackle fraud: According to the EU Commission, it is estimated that 65% of parcels sent to the EU are deliberately under-declared in the customs declaration in order to claim exemption.
According to the authority, this puts EU companies at a disadvantage as they cannot compete with the correspondingly lower sales prices - especially small and medium-sized enterprises. In addition, the exemption is an incentive for sellers to split larger orders into smaller parcels when shipping to the EU.
"First building block" against the flood of parcels
Online trade has led to an exponential increase in deliveries of small, low-value parcels to the EU in recent years. According to the EU Commission, around twelve million parcels arrived in the EU every day in 2024 - significantly more than in the two previous years. Online shopping portals such as Amazon and Etsy as well as e-commerce giants such as Temu, AliExpress and Shein are likely to be affected by the levy.
In addition to the duty that has now been imposed on low-priced products, the EU Commission is reportedly considering a flat-rate levy of up to two euros on corresponding orders in view of the rapidly increasing number of parcels from third countries.
Politicians, sales representatives and consumer advocates are also criticizing the product quality, lack of controls and unfair competitive conditions of providers such as Shein or Temu. They are calling for stricter regulation and better protection when shopping online.
In France, Shein has recently come under increasing public scrutiny. After it became known that the online retailer was offering sex dolls with a childlike appearance and was allegedly selling weapons, the French government initiated proceedings against the platform last week.
As a result, the government announced that it would inspect 200,000 Shein packages at Paris airport. Shein announced that it would cooperate with the authorities.
