EU cracks down on cheap Temu and Shein products

This article was originally published in English

The European Commission is preparing to levying customs duties on cheap products from Chinaaccording to three sources cited by the ‘Financial Times’. Under current rules, Products under 150 euros can be imported into the bloc duty-free from non-EU countriesFor products exceeding this threshold, the percentage or rate varies depending on the type of merchandise.

The measure, according to a source, aims combat the influx of low-quality products imported from Chinese online markets Temu, AliExpress and the retailer Shein. According to the Commission, 2.3 billion items below the €150 threshold were imported into the EU last year. If all goods are considered, China was the bloc’s largest supplier of imports last yearaccounting for 20.5% of the goods entering the EU.

The Commission had been debating the End of tariff exemption as part of customs reform suggested in May 2023, although some believe this step could be brought forward now. Tariffs would only be imposed on retailers who ship goods to the EU from outside the bloc. This means that Sellers based in Europe, such as Amazon, are unlikely to be affected.

Some fear that the new tariffs will strain the capacity of already overstretched customs officials, while others argue that Cracking down on cheap goods is important for European security.

In February, the group Toy Industries of Europe He said he had bought 19 toys from Temu and complained that none of them met EU standards. He added that 18 had a serious risk to childrenalthough all of these products have since been removed from Temu’s EU site. Complaints about other cheap products refer to Chinese cosmetics, household appliances and clothing.

“We fully support the efforts of legislators to achieve reform,” a Shein spokesman told Reuters.

Commission spokesman Eric Mamer told a briefing at midday on Wednesday that the EU had nothing new to add regarding the plans drawn up in 2023.