France will from next year impose a handling tax for every small parcel sent from China sent by platforms such as Shein and Temu, a minister said Tuesday.
The charge was announced by public accounts minister Amelie de Montchalin amidst international concerns that tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump could force more Chinese goods into other markets.
Montchalin said the tax would be a “a few euros” for each parcel, or a few cents for each article. The aim, she added, was for platforms to pay rather than the consumer.
The European Union is aiming to reform its customs union by 2028 and the minister’s office said France wanted “the rapid establishment at the European level of a handling fee mechanism for each small package entering Europe.”
French officials say that unless a European system is set up, parcels taxed by France will just enter the EU through another member country.
The minister’s office told AFP that inspections would be funded by the money collected by the French levy, which would be replaced once a European system was established.
This year, the European Commission suggested that bundles under 150 euros ($170) no longer qualify for tax-free entrance. According to official data, around 4.6 billion tax-free products entered the EU in 2024. Over 90 percent originated in China. Approximately 800 million people went to France.
To combat the “invasion” of small parcels purchased online, France’s Confederation of Small and Medium Enterprises (CPME) declared a “state of emergency” on Tuesday.
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