Ghoul
Member
While shipping from China to the US has taken a distinct turn for the worse since the end of de minimus exemptions, shipments to the EU have continued as usual, in some cases even faster and smoother than before.
This is not likely to last.
Following the US, the EU will end de minimus customs exemptions for shipments under €150 forcing companies to register, pay VAT, and accept liability for package contents. A €2 fee to strengthen customs scrutiny of, overwhelmingly, small Chinese packages is being added to each parcel.
No date for implementation is given, but it's safe to say it's easier to get pack from China through now then it will be once these new rules are implemented.
There are other subtle dynamics here, with the intention to drive "legit" companies to ship single large consignments of goods into warehouses(like the old days), reducing the flood of individual packages being shipped directly to consumers, making it easier for customs to scrutinize them. Not unlike the US strategy.
In some ways this is worse, applying to all shipments from outside the EU, ie impacting India and Turkish pharma, not just China like in the US.
Consider planning purchases with this in mind, and whether it may be prudent to "stock up" sooner rather than later:
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www.ft.com
www.rte.ie
The EU has said it is preparing to impose a €2 flat fee on the billions of low-value packages that flood into the bloc each year, the great majority from China.
The EU's trade chief Maros Sefcovic told the European Parliament that e-commerce platforms would be expected to pay the fee per parcel, which aims to help the European Union tackle the challenges from the massive influx of cheap items.
The fee would remove the customs-free status of packages worth less than €150 that are imported directly to consumers, often via platforms like Chinese-founded Temu and Shein.
In 2024, 4.6 billion such packages entered the EU - more than 145 per second - with 91% originating in China. The EU expects the numbers to rise.
Mr Sefcovic said the figure represents a "completely new challenge to the control, to the safety, to making sure that the standards are properly checked of the products which are shipped to the European Union".
He pointed to the "huge" workload for customs officials, "therefore I wouldn't look at the handling fee as a tax, simply the fee to compensate the cost".
This is not likely to last.
Following the US, the EU will end de minimus customs exemptions for shipments under €150 forcing companies to register, pay VAT, and accept liability for package contents. A €2 fee to strengthen customs scrutiny of, overwhelmingly, small Chinese packages is being added to each parcel.
No date for implementation is given, but it's safe to say it's easier to get pack from China through now then it will be once these new rules are implemented.
There are other subtle dynamics here, with the intention to drive "legit" companies to ship single large consignments of goods into warehouses(like the old days), reducing the flood of individual packages being shipped directly to consumers, making it easier for customs to scrutinize them. Not unlike the US strategy.
In some ways this is worse, applying to all shipments from outside the EU, ie impacting India and Turkish pharma, not just China like in the US.
Consider planning purchases with this in mind, and whether it may be prudent to "stock up" sooner rather than later:
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EU to impose €2 tax on low-cost items in blow to Temu and Shein
Brussels plans handling fee on billions of small packages imported mainly from China
EU plans €2 flat fee on small parcels from outside bloc
The EU has said it is preparing to impose a €2 flat fee on the billions of low-value packages that flood into the bloc each year, the great majority from China.
The EU has said it is preparing to impose a €2 flat fee on the billions of low-value packages that flood into the bloc each year, the great majority from China.
The EU's trade chief Maros Sefcovic told the European Parliament that e-commerce platforms would be expected to pay the fee per parcel, which aims to help the European Union tackle the challenges from the massive influx of cheap items.
The fee would remove the customs-free status of packages worth less than €150 that are imported directly to consumers, often via platforms like Chinese-founded Temu and Shein.
In 2024, 4.6 billion such packages entered the EU - more than 145 per second - with 91% originating in China. The EU expects the numbers to rise.
Mr Sefcovic said the figure represents a "completely new challenge to the control, to the safety, to making sure that the standards are properly checked of the products which are shipped to the European Union".
He pointed to the "huge" workload for customs officials, "therefore I wouldn't look at the handling fee as a tax, simply the fee to compensate the cost".
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