If you are one of those people addicted to shopping on Temu and Shein, pay attention, because the European Commission has confirmed that from now on, all packages arriving from outside the European Union and costing less than 150 euros will have a fixed surcharge of 3 euros. It does not matter if it cost you 0.50 euros or 100 euros, you will have to pay those three euros.
And maybe three euros does not seem like much to you, but the reality is that it hits directly at the sales model of these platforms, which is based on very low prices and almost endless shipments.
New rules in the EU
In recent years, international online commerce has grown massively. Millions of packages enter Europe every day and customs services cannot keep up. It is not that they do not want to control them, it is that they cannot. And from Brussels they want to stop this business model, or at least organize it, collect some revenue, and better monitor what enters the EU. Yes, now a customs agent will know that you bought a bathrobe for your cat for 0.86 euros.
Packages that are too cheap
To give you an idea, in 2024 the value of small imported shipments exceeded 4.6 billion euros, and more than 90 percent came from these Asian platforms. Each package, even if it is cheap, requires checks, paperwork, inspections. All of that costs money. And that cost was assumed by the public administration, but now they want to compensate efforts and have the customer pay.
How the 3 euro surcharge will work
Any package sent to a consumer from outside the EU with a value below 150 euros will have a fixed surcharge of 3 euros. This will mainly affect Shein and Temu orders that split shipments into smaller orders to avoid extra costs.
For now, the measure will last until 2028, when the new European customs system is expected to come into operation.
Many more fees
From Brussels they warn that this surcharge does not replace other fees that are being negotiated. In other words, your 0.46 dollar pens are going to cost you much more.
The direct impact on Temu and Shein
Of course, it is not the same to buy at no extra cost as to add 3 euros to each order. If you are one of those addicted to these purchases, you will see how money adds up and you will have to decide whether you go through with the purchase or keep the craving, and that is where the magic of these platforms is lost. It would no longer be that cheap.
Now the platforms will have to decide whether to raise prices, group orders, change their strategy completely, or absorb part of the 3 euro cost.
And the consumers?
It is very likely that we will see fewer impulsive purchases and more planned orders, larger and above all less frequent. And yes, this could also benefit local businesses and European shops, which until now were at a disadvantage compared to giants that barely paid taxes on those shipments.
Fairer competition
Or at least that is the intention, that the rules apply equally, just like to European companies that pay taxes and go through inspections.
When does it come into force?
You have until 2026 to satisfy your compulsive shopping habits, so there is still time to adapt.
Remember that they are not banning buying from foreign stores, they are just changing the rules of online commerce so that it can continue to be cheap, but not as cheap or as easy as it has been until now.