Business & Economics
EU Finance Ministers OK Accelerated End of €150 Duty-Free Threshold for Chinese E-Commerce Parcels
On 13 Nov 2025 EU finance ministers reached political consensus to abolish the €150 customs-duty exemption on non-EU parcels from early 2026, two years ahead of the original 2028 schedule.
Focusing Facts
- Decision taken in Brussels on 13 Nov 2025 targets implementation by 1 Jan 2026, ending duty-free entry on the 4.6 billion sub-€150 parcels imported in 2024.
- 91 % of those low-value parcels originated from China, chiefly via platforms Temu and Shein, according to Commission figures.
- Commission also floated a flat €2 handling fee to start in late 2026, while Romania has already imposed a €5 national levy.
Context
The EU move echoes earlier protectionist pivots—such as the 1930 Smoot-Hawley tariff surge in the US or the EU’s 2013 anti-dumping duties on Chinese solar panels—where policymakers reacted belatedly to import waves they deemed distortive. Long-running trends underpinning this step include the explosive rise of cross-border e-commerce exploiting ‘de minimis’ loopholes, Europe’s post-2020 push for “strategic autonomy,” and a global shift from tariff liberalisation toward managed trade as supply-chain shocks and geopolitical rivalries harden attitudes. Whether this moment proves pivotal hinges on enforcement: Chinese sellers can re-route through third countries, algorithmically split orders, or absorb small fees, potentially blunting the policy’s intent. Still, on a 100-year horizon it marks another brick in the gradual dismantling of the late-20th-century consensus on frictionless trade, suggesting the EU may increasingly wield customs policy not only for revenue but as a geopolitical tool—even against partners once viewed primarily as manufacturing hubs.
Perspectives
European mainstream media and EU-institutional outlets
Euronews, CNA, Channels Television — Scrapping the €150 duty-free threshold is a ‘defining moment’ that will defend European consumers and businesses from a flood of non-compliant Chinese parcels and restore fair competition. By celebrating the move as a win for “economic sovereignty,” these reports echo protectionist political messaging and downplay possible price rises for consumers or WTO implications.
European industry & logistics voices highlighted by business press
Irish Independent, Financial Times — The exemption’s removal is necessary but the proposed €2 fee and uneven national surcharges could still leave loopholes, create fragmentation and do little to curb the parcel surge. Coverage mirrors the commercial interests of retailers and delivery firms that want minimal cost shocks and administrative hassle, so it accentuates technical obstacles and questions effectiveness rather than the policy’s broader trade rationale.
Hong Kong-based China-focused media
South China Morning Post — The abrupt end of duty-free ‘perks’ singles out Chinese e-commerce champions Temu and Shein, signalling the EU’s bid to shore up its own ‘sovereignty’ against a wave of Chinese imports. By framing Chinese firms as prime targets, the report subtly casts Brussels’ move as politically motivated protectionism, reflecting the outlet’s commercial readership ties to mainland China.