According to a report by the Financial Times on Wednesday, the European Union is planning to impose tariffs on cheap goods purchased from Chinese online retailers such as Temu, Shein, and AliExpress. The report cited three informed sources.
The report stated that the European Commission will propose by the end of this month to eliminate the current tax exemption threshold of 150 euros (approximately $161), meaning goods exceeding this amount will no longer enjoy tax-free treatment.
Under current EU regulations, parcels purchased online from non-EU countries are exempt from tariffs if their value is below 150 euros.
According to the European Commission data, in 2023, there were 2 billion parcels valued under 150 euros entering the EU from non-EU countries. The Commission stated, "The massive volume of e-commerce is testing the limits of customs."
The EU has been discussing the removal of this threshold as part of the customs reform project proposed by the Commission in May 2023, but it may now accelerate the implementation of this plan to cope with the surge in imports of cheap goods, the Financial Times reported.
AliExpress under Alibaba, Shein, Temu, and the EU have not immediately responded to Reuters' requests for comment.
Critics in the United States have already complained that Shein and Temu use import tax exemptions to undermine competitors in the US market and evade customs checks on their products.
