EU's €2 handling charge for cheap imports to snare Chinese products

Published on 23/05/2025 - 17:11 GMT+2

A €2 euro-handling interest group to beryllium imposed connected each mini parcel entering nan EU pinch a worth of €150 euros aliases little announced this week by Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič is group to deed imports connected inexpensive equipment from China.

Europe is receiving astir 12 cardinal mini parcels each day, amounting to an estimated 4.6 cardinal items annually, nan mostly of which are equipment sold by Chinese online platforms for illustration Shein and Temu.  

Following erstwhile US President Donald Trump’s announcement of waste and acquisition tariffs connected China, nan European Commission expressed concerns that Chinese equipment could beryllium redirected towards nan EU, perchance flooding nan European market. The projected €2 interest could service arsenic a deterrent. 

While nan timeline of nan implementation is still unknown, user protection advocates are already concerned that nan costs will autumn connected consumers.  

"These large platforms, their business exemplary is to person very inexpensive costs, we tin expect that they will sorb themselves, nan costs, and that it mightiness not beryllium passed connected to consumers,” Léa Auffret, Head of International Affairs astatine The European Consumers Organisation (BEUC) said earlier adding, “But ultimately, this will beryllium a business decision. Consumers should not beryllium nan 1 paying nan value for nan compliance.” 

Commissioner Šefčovič explained this move successful position of costs efficiency, saying “It’s really conscionable to compensate nan activity which is being done by nan customs officials.”  

Back successful February, nan European Commission published a “toolbox” successful which they announced their volition to present more checks for merchandise information connected imports utilizing AI tools, enigma shopping and testing activities to observe and callback products from nan market. 

Chinese e-commerce giants are already nether various Commission probes nether nan Digital Services Act – nan landmark rules for societal media and online unit platforms – and Europe's user protection web is besides investigating Temu for alleged illegal practices for illustration clone discounts and misleading reviews, sale of forbidden products, and unfair practices. Last February nan Commission besides requested accusation of Shein connected risks linked to illegal contented and equipment connected its marketplace, nan transparency of its recommender systems, entree to information for qualified researchers and measures adopted to mitigate risks relating to user protection, nationalist wellness and users' wellbeing.