EU imposes fee on low-value ecommerce imports as pressure grows on Shein, Temu and AliExpress

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EU fee on ecommerce imports

Highlights

EU imposes a 3 euro fee per customs classification on low-value ecommerce imports from China effective Wednesday, targeting platforms like Shein, Temu, and AliExpress.
The fee, expected to reduce ecommerce air shipments into the EU by 10% to 35% in coming weeks, increases cost pressure as US exemptions also end by August.
The 3 euro charge, a temporary measure amid customs reform, will be replaced by category-specific duties coinciding with the launch of the EU Customs Authority on July 1, 2028.

Import fee rollout and customs reform timeline

As reported by Reuters, the European Union imposes a 3 euro fee on each customs classification in low-value ecommerce shipments from China from Wednesday, marking an initial step in its effort to curb what it sees as unfair competition from platforms including Shein, Temu and AliExpress.

The fee applies per item category within a parcel rather than per parcel alone. A shipment containing three different types of goods incurs a total charge of 9 euros, while a parcel containing several dresses or several toys is charged 3 euros.

Duty exemptions on low-value imports have been in place for decades, and the current 150 euro threshold was introduced in 2008. The number of ecommerce parcels entering the EU under that exemption rises to 5.8 billion in 2025 from 1.4 billion in 2022.

EU lawmaker Dirk Gotink, who leads the customs reform topic in the European Parliament, says the exemption no longer fits current trading conditions and has been misused at scale to create a competitive advantage over EU businesses. The 3 euro charge is a temporary measure and is due to be replaced by category-specific duties from July 1, 2028, when the new EU Customs Authority is scheduled to begin operations.

Price, logistics and market impact across the sector

Derek Lossing, an ecommerce and air cargo consultant at Cirrus Global Advisors, says he expects air shipments of ecommerce goods into the EU to fall by 10% to 35% in the weeks after the fees take effect, with possible repercussions for global air cargo volumes.

He says the latest move leaves platforms with fewer obvious alternatives after the U.S., their biggest market, ended its de minimis exemption for imports from China in May and for all imports at the end of August. He adds that platforms may push suppliers to absorb part of the extra cost to limit price increases for consumers and protect margins.

Shein has been preparing by expanding warehouse space in Wroclaw, Poland, and by shipping more products into the EU in bulk. AliExpress says in a statement that product listings carry a "Price includes duties and VAT" label where applicable, while other items show a breakdown of import charges before purchase.

Amazon, which launched its Amazon Haul low-cost service after the rapid growth of Temu and Shein, says 97% of its EU shipments last year were fulfilled from warehouses within the bloc. For goods shipped from outside the EU, it says customers are also shown import charges before checkout.

Bayer’s push for U.S. import duties on Chinese-made glyphosate highlighted how trade measures aimed at low-priced imports can quickly ripple through domestic markets. Our earlier coverage noted that farm groups warned the proposed antidumping and countervailing duties could lift input costs, reduce competition, and intensify price pressures for already-stressed growers.

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