The EU has set huge fines for imports from China that do not meet safety standards. Two thirds of them are in this situation
The European Union agreed on Thursday on a reform of its customs system that includes tough measures against e-commerce platforms, especially Chinese ones, which face fines if they sell illegal or unsafe products on EU territory, Reuters reports.
The 27-nation bloc aims to coordinate customs duty collection and security checks as it struggles to manage the high volume of low-value e-commerce parcels entering the EU, which are expected to total 5.8 billion in 2025.
Representatives of the European Parliament and EU governments reached a late tentative agreement after negotiations that stretched into Thursday night to iron out the final details.
Huge fines, up to 6% of sales
Under the new system, online platforms that sell in the EU block will be treated as importers and will be responsible for paying customs duties and product safety.
Companies that repeatedly break EU rules could be fined between 1 and 6% of their total sales in the EU over the last 12 months.
The EU does not impose customs duties on parcels worth less than €150, which has fueled the rapid growth of online shopping platforms such as Shein, Temu and AliExpress, which send parcels to consumers directly from China.
The bloc aims to remove the customs duty exemption and plans to impose a €3 tax from July as an interim measure. The European Commission will also set an additional handling fee that will apply from November 1.
Almost two-thirds of imports do not comply with the rules
The bloc's concerns about product safety were highlighted by a study published by the European Commission this month.
It found that 60% to 65% of imported products, from cosmetics and food supplements to personal protective equipment such as bicycle helmets, did not comply with EU safety rules.
“One of the main concerns … is the systematic violations of EU law and the large volume of non-compliant small parcels originating from online platforms outside the EU, including from China,” the EU statement said.
On Wednesday, the French city of Lille was chosen as the headquarters of the future EU Customs Authority (EUCA), whose 250 staff will oversee a new EU data center that will provide a more centralized and digital picture of incoming goods.
The data center is scheduled to open for e-commerce shipments in 2028 and cover all imported goods by March 1, 2034.
The EU is sending a delegation to China
Next week, the EU will send a nine-member delegation to Beijing and Shanghai to address challenges in the digital and e-commerce sectors, as well as promote fair competition between China and the bloc, according to a statement from the EU Delegation to China.
For three days, European lawmakers will meet with Chinese lawmakers and market regulators, as well as representatives from Shein, Alibaba and Temu.
In what would be the European Parliament's first visit in eight years, discussions are expected to focus on digital regulation, consumer protection and product safety compliance.
