Brussels, Belgium. The European Union will introduce a €3 duty from the start of July on non-EU goods valued at up to €150, affecting major retailers including Shein and Temu. The measure is intended as a temporary step to address competition concerns linked to low-value e-commerce imports.
Reason for the measure
The customs department said the temporary duty is aimed at correcting unfair competition between the EU and traders from third countries caused by the sharp rise in e-trade and distance selling of low-value consignments.
Until now, orders valued at €150 or below were covered by a customs duty relief threshold, allowing those goods to enter the EU without customs duties.
According to authorities contacted by the Cyprus Mail, this created a range of problems, including risks for consumers, significant environmental impacts, and unfair competition for businesses based in Europe.
Import volumes
European Commission figures showed that 4.6 billion e-commerce parcels valued below €150 were imported into the EU in 2024, equal to an average of 12 million parcels per day.
The majority of those shipments, 91 per cent, came from China, with a similar pattern reported in Cyprus.
“The biggest volumes are from China but also UK and America,” said ACS Christoforos Potamitis CEO Christoforos Potamitis.
Temporary arrangement until 2028
Brussels has moved to impose the fixed €3 customs duty on all shipments from third countries as an interim measure, with the permanent removal of the customs duty threshold scheduled to take effect in two years.
The customs department said that after 2028, when the customs data hub is fully implemented, all imports will have to be declared based on the tariff code of each item, and duties will be collected according to the common EU customs tariff in the same way as normal goods imports.