On Tuesday, the main European textile industry associations called on the European Commission to set the future handling fee—which it plans to introduce for small packages, mainly from China—at 10 euros per package, according to AFP, according to Agerpres.
The European Union is taking drastic measures against Asian online retail platforms such as Shein, Temu, and AliExpress, which are accused of environmental pollution and unfair competition. Starting July 1, packages worth less than 150 euros imported into the EU—which were previously exempt from customs duties—are now subject to a European tax of three euros per product type.
The EU plans to supplement this measure in November with a “handling fee.” The amount has not yet been determined, but it could reach two euros per package.
In 2025, nearly 5.9 billion small parcels (93% of which originated in China) entered the European market, representing more than 180 per second—four times as many as in 2022.
The three-euro European tax has caused a drastic drop of up to 40% in parcel imports into the European market, the French Ministry of Economy and Finance announced last week.
“We cannot stop here,” said Mario Jorge Machado, president of Euratex—the leading European confederation in the textile sector—on Tuesday, speaking before industry representatives gathered at the Premiere Vision trade show in Villepinte, near Paris.
On Tuesday, Euratex called for these duties to be increased to 10 euros per package and for the resulting revenue to be allocated to strengthening customs controls, rather than being absorbed into the European Commission’s general budget. Euratex represents nearly thirty European textile industry federations, particularly in France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The sector accounts for 1.2 million jobs in Europe, Euratex noted.
Speaking at the Premiere Vision trade show, Pierre-François Le Louet, co-chair of the French Textile Workers’ Confederation (UFIMH), argued that this 10-euro fee is not punitive, but rather represents the “true cost of the business model” of these platforms, which pose significant challenges for European customs authorities. UFIMH and the Union of Textile Industries have expressed their support for Euratex’s request.
In France, one of the main provisions of the French law aimed at curbing fast fashion—symbolized by the Shein platform—took effect on Tuesday. This provision imposes a penalty on each Shein product, which could reach up to 19.50 euros for a jacket by 2030.
Source – AGERPRES
