France Pushes for Fees on Low-Value E-commerce Packages to Fund Tighter EU Customs

France proposes fees on low-value e-commerce packages to fund stricter EU customs. The move targets Shein and Temu, which benefit unfairly from duty-free policies. While the EU plans full duty-free removal by 2028, France seeks immediate action akin to a recent US policy change.

France has proposed charging fees on low-value e-commerce packages entering the European Union in order to finance tighter customs screening. The proposal is part of a bid to impose greater controls on online retailers such as Shein and Temu, which currently ship inexpensive goods to EU consumers duty-free.

While the European Union intends to end duty-free treatment for packages worth less than 150 euros by 2028, France is advocating for immediate measures. The United States has already scrapped a similar policy, effective this Friday, and France is pushing for a comparable approach in the EU.

European retailers and policymakers have criticized the current duty-free policy, arguing that it gives platforms like Shein and Temu an unfair edge by enabling them to sell items at extremely low prices. These products are dispatched directly from factories in China, raising concerns over safety, brand counterfeiting, and loss of public revenue.

(With inputs from agencies.)