France proposes a handling fee on small parcels from Asia
By The New Obs with AFP
Published on , updated on
France is proposing a handling fee on small parcels from Asia, particularly China. FRED SCHEIBER/SIPA / FRED SCHEIBER/SIPA
France is proposing to charge "handling fees" on every small parcel entering Europe, from 2026, to finance the controls that will have to be strengthened in the face of the influx of low-value parcels sent in particular from China , by platforms such as Shein or Temu .
The idea is to make "importers, platforms, and not consumers, pay a small flat rate for parcels," declared Public Accounts Minister Amélie de Montchalin on Tuesday, April 29. She mentioned "a few euros" per parcel, or "a few cents" per item, during a trip to Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle airport.
"In anticipation of the reform of the Customs Union in 2028, France will advocate for the rapid establishment at the European level of a mechanism for handling fees on each small package entering Europe. The money collected would be used to finance controls," the minister's office told AFP.
"We cannot act alone, because if we act alone, the flows will go to another country," said Eric Lombard, Minister of the Economy. "The Netherlands is very interested" and "we hope to bring together as soon as possible a group of countries that can implement this measure," added the Minister of Public Accounts.
The tax would be applied from 2026 until 2028, when the European Union could remove the customs tax exemption on parcels worth less than 150 euros arriving from countries outside the European Union.
Customs tax exemption in the crosshairsFour ministers from Bercy, Eric Lombard, Amélie de Montchalin, Véronique Louwagie (trade and crafts in particular) and Clara Chappaz (artificial intelligence and digital), traveled to Roissy airport, the main entry point for air freight on a national scale, to discuss "regulation" and "security of e-commerce platforms" .
France will strengthen controls on packages containing cosmetic products or medicines that are potentially dangerous to health, and on the compliance of products with safety standards, as well as ensuring the value of packages (so that they do not escape customs duties), Amélie de Montchalin indicated.
And the names of products withdrawn for non-compliance with the rules will be made public, including on social media, added Véronique Louwagie.
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The government's announcements were welcomed by the Federation of Online Commerce and Distance Selling (Fevad).
"But now, beyond intentions and words, we need rapid and concrete actions" and "the unjustified advantages enjoyed by Asian sites must be urgently removed and Europe must tackle the dumping strategy we are subjected to."
In France alone, 800 million parcels worth less than €150 were delivered in 2024 (out of a total of 1.5 billion parcels). The focus is on these so-called low-value shipments because they benefit from a customs tax exemption in Europe when sent from a third country. In February, the European Commission called for the removal of this exemption, which dates back to 2010, highlighting in particular the risks of importing "dangerous products" and the significant environmental footprint of such volumes.
By The New Obs with AFP
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