France is pushing to slap fees on small packages from discount retailers including China’s Temu and Shein Group Ltd. as the flood of cheap goods risks accelerating in response to the US’s sweeping tariffs.
The proposed stopgap measure to put handling fees on such imports would come ahead of a wider European overhaul of customs duties due to come into effect in 2028, Budget Minister Amelie de Montchalin said during a visit to a parcel sorting center near Paris Charles de Gaulle airport on Tuesday.
“Today is not 2028, so France is proposing fixed handling fees as soon as 2026,” she said. “It’s not a tax on consumers — it’s to make these platforms contribute more to checks we must do for security.”
France’s effort to address a tide of cheap Chinese goods comes as President Donald Trump’s tariffs on small packages vastly increase the costs of merchandise from Shein and Temu for US consumers.
Some policymakers in Europe are concerned that will divert yet more cheap clothing and goods into European countries, where there are currently no levies on parcels under €150 ($170.59).
Competition Concerns
French Finance Minister Eric Lombard said authorities are worried about unfair competition against domestic companies and that many of the products do not respect safety norms.
Even before Trump’s trade moves, the volume of small packages exported to France by digital platforms doubled year-on-year to 800 million in 2024, with around 90% from China.
Days ago, UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced an examination of the country’s so-called de minimis rules, under which products valued at £135 ($180) or less can be imported without customs duty.
The European Union has already proposed abolishing the exemption from duties for parcels under €150 and said it will reform the customs union to ensure trading platforms comply with the bloc’s regulations. Yet those changes are not due to come in until 2027 to 2028.
France will seek to coordinate with other European countries on the handling fees to be applied before then. If other large importing countries don’t follow Paris on the issue, importers to the EU’s single market could circumnavigate any unilateral French action.
Montchalin said she has already discussed the idea with the Dutch government and will talk with the new German administration in the coming weeks with a view to implementing the stopgap measure by 2026. The fee would be “a few euros,” but the exact amount would be coordinated with other member states.
“Our ambition is to bring together all EU ministers in charge of customs so that in the coming weeks we can take measures that don’t destabilize our markets,” she said.
Speaking alongside Montchalin, Lombard added that there is no direct link between the proposal and Trump’s tariffs, and said diverting trade flows is limited by air freight capacity.
“Our aim is to protect French people whatever happens — it doesn’t depend on American decisions,” he said.
This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
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