Temu, Shein: Why a €3 Customs Fee Won't Stop the Cheap-Package Flood

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents Temu, Shein: Why a €3 Customs Fee Won't Stop the Cheap-Package Flood.

You order from Temu or Shein because the prices are hard to beat? Those exact packages are at the center of a new debate in Brussels. The EU Commission wants to counter this with a small fee — but the plans are facing sharp criticism from German retailers. And that's despite customs duties on cheap packages from China already existing.

The EU wants to curb the flood of cheap packages from China with a three-euro customs fee. That's according to Spiegel, citing the German Retail Federation (HDE). The federation considers that amount insufficient — and warns at the same time: Temu and others will adapt.

Not enough. Temu and others will adapt.

What exactly is Brussels planning?

The EU wants to collect three euros per package. The aim is to curb the flood of tiny shipments from China arriving in Europe via platforms like Temu, Shein and similar providers. The measure builds on existing customs duties that, in the HDE's assessment, have so far shown little effect.

Why the HDE is criticizing the plan

The German Retail Federation describes the planned fee as inadequate. The federation's warning is blunt: Temu and others will find ways to adjust to the new regulation. What that specifically means, the federation leaves open — but what is clear to them is this: three euros won't break the trend.

What this means for you as a buyer

Anyone who regularly orders from Temu or Shein will have to prepare for three euros more per package — if the measure actually goes through. Whether the platforms absorb the costs themselves or pass them on to customers remains to be seen. The interesting question is how Brussels will readjust if this fee also falls flat.