The bloc’s executive branch proposed removing the tariff-free access on Wednesday as part of a flurry of directives aimed at tackling the online sale of “often dangerous” goods, singling out Chinese retailers such as Shein and Temu as a major source of these products.
Currently, packages valued at under €150 euros (US$156) can be sent to the European Union without paying tax. But with 12 million small-value parcels entering every day – 91 per cent of which come from China, according to the commission – customs regimes are overwhelmed.
The volume of small packages entering the EU rose from 1.9 billion to 4.2 billion a year between 2023 and 2024.
Previous studies have estimated that the EU could recoup €1 billion a year in tax if it applied a simplified tariff to these packages by 2027.
Officials have since suggested that this figure may be even higher because the import volume has risen significantly since the research was carried out.
