cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/6078147
European Union finance ministers agreed on Friday to set a 3 euro ($3.52) customs duty on low-value parcels arriving in the bloc, part of efforts to crack down on cheap Chinese e-commerce imports such as from online retailers Shein and Temu.
The duty will apply from July 1, 2026, and will be in place until a permanent solution is found to eliminate the “de minimis” duties exemption for online purchases below 150 euros, the EU’s Council of its 27 governments said in a statement.
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The bloc was due to remove the exemption in 2028 as part of an overhaul of its customs system, but pressure to act faster has grown amid concerns about Chinese goods being dumped in Europe.
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The number of low-value e-commerce packages arriving in the bloc doubled last year to 4.6 billion, over 90% of them from China. Imports this year are set to be even higher.
The EU is also considering a separate handling fee, which the European Commission has proposed should be set at 2 euros per parcel. It is not clear when it would be imposed.
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How about canceling the subsidies for shipping? It is not China who is responsible for the cheap shipping of parcels from China to Europe. How about actually making shipping inside the countries cheaper?
This would actually strengthen the local market opposed to just weakening the outside
Exactly right. Why can I order a $1 item from China and get it put on planes and trucks for free, but shipping domestically costs 15€ and “internationally” which is literally 5 hours by rail and trucks over 30€?
Is that why buying something from within the bloc can be stupid expensive but amazon and china have it at pennies
Yes, China is still officially classified as a developing country and so gets cheaper postal rates. Also the Chinese government fully covers the export fees for small items, that’s why you can order a bag of zip ties for 99 cents and they come all the way from Shenzhen.
That sounds crazy to me.
Yeah but how is the local market going to ship their products from China then?