Item 1 of 2 A general view shows the container port of Hamburger Hafen Logistics AG HHLA during a media tour in Hamburg, Germany, July 29, 2025. REUTERS/Christian Kraemer/File Photo
LONDON, Jan 26 (Reuters) – The number of low-value ecommerce parcels entering the European Union increased to 5.8 billion in 2025, a 26% rise from the previous year, the European Commission said on Monday as the bloc plans to impose fees on the cheap products currently imported duty-free.
The EU’s “de minimis” customs duty exemption for parcels valued at less than 150 euros ($174) has helped fuel rapid growth at online shopping platforms such as Temu and Shein, which send packages from China direct to consumers.
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EU lawmaker Dirk Gotink, chief negotiator on the new customs legislation, said imports of low-value packages were growing “at an unsustainable rate”.
“It underlines the urgent need to frontload the European handling fee to July this year and to finalise the customs reform within the next months,” Gotink said in a statement.
The EU plans to impose a 3 euro fee on low-value parcels starting on July 1, as a temporary measure before a final agreement is reached to scrap the duty exemption.
The issue gained new urgency last year when the U.S. scrapped its de minimis policy, raising fears that cheap Chinese products would be redirected en masse to Europe.
Reporting by Helen Reid; Editing by Alex Richardson
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