The European Union will start collecting a
three-euro flat fee for each small parcel valued below €150 (US$176) sent directly from a non-EU country to customers in the bloc, following a decision adopted by the EU finance ministers meeting in Brussels on Friday.
The move, set to kick in next July, marks a milestone in Europe’s fight, led by France, against the influx of small parcels, mostly from Chinese platforms such as Temu and Shein, entering the union tax free.
But how effective these tariffs will be remains to be seen given both platforms’ extensive warehouse and logistic networks in Europe.
“Today is a big day for Europe, a big day for France, but above all a big day for our citizens, producers and retailers,” French finance minister Roland Lescure told journalists with a smile.
Paris has repeatedly warned that these small parcels pose a threat to European businesses and consumers.
Three euros will be a “relatively significant fee” for these small parcels given their values, according to Lescure, who stressed that France spent the past day convincing a lot of its European peers to sign on to the measure which Paris sees as the right way forward.