A report, citing three sources briefed on the topic, stated that the European Union is drafting measures to levy customs tariffs on cheap items purchased from Chinese online retailers, such as Temu, SHEIN, and AliExpress.
According to the source, the European Commission is planning to propose the removal of the existing duty-free purchase threshold of € 150 (US $ 161) later this month. As of right now, if a shipment worth less than € 150 is bought online from a non-EU nation, customs charges are not applicable.
According to the Commission, “the sheer volumes of e-commerce are testing customs’ limits” as two billion packages worth less than € 150 were declared when they came in the EU from outside in 2023.
As part of a customs reform initiative put up by the Commission in May 2023, the EU has been debating eliminating the cap; nevertheless, the report said that in order to combat the influx of low-cost imports, it may now try to expedite its adoption.
SHEIN and Temu’s detractors in the US have already voiced their displeasure, claiming that they take advantage of import tax exemptions to undercut competitors and evade goods inspections by customs.
Bharat Tex Special Report 2026 
