EU Imposes Fees on Online Imports... Targeting Chinese Temu and Shein

The European Union (EU) is pushing to impose fees on all imported goods entering the region through overseas e-commerce companies.

On the 5th (local time), the European Commission, the EU's executive body, announced at its weekly meeting that it adopted a communication titled "Comprehensive Toolbox for Safe and Sustainable E-commerce."

Reuters Yonhap News

The communication is a document outlining the overall policy direction the EU intends to pursue. It contains detailed legislative proposals to achieve policy goals.

The Commission specified that, regarding customs, it will consider introducing a so-called "handling fee" on e-commerce products imported directly into the EU.

The Commission explained that this measure aims to address the enormous costs incurred by customs authorities in monitoring compliance for billions of items.

An EU official stated, "The specific amount of the (fee) will be determined after consulting each customs authority," adding that there is no predetermined reference value.

Alongside this, the communication pointed out the need for the swift adoption of the "Customs Union Reform Package," a customs regulation overhaul currently undergoing legislative procedures.

The reform includes abolishing the duty exemption for low-value parcels under 150 euros (approximately 230,000 KRW).

Additionally, to prevent the inflow of illegal and hazardous goods through e-commerce platforms, targeted measures such as illegal product monitoring and the removal of non-compliant products will also be promoted.

This is analyzed as a measure targeting Chinese e-commerce platforms Temu and Shein, which have been identified as channels for low-cost illegal and harmful goods.

According to the Commission, last year alone, about 4.6 billion low-value parcels under 22 euros entered the EU?equivalent to 12 million parcels per day. This is more than double the volume compared to 2023, with many found to be non-compliant with EU regulations.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.