London (Reuters) – The European Union will expand customs control of goods sent by e -commerce retailers such as Temu and Shein, to consumers of the bloc, seeking to ensure fair competition and the safety of the goods, showed the outline of an official statement. Seen by Reuters this Monday.
The European Commission Directive, scheduled to be published on Wednesday, will affect all e-commerce retailers from outside the EU, although specifically addresses the rapid growth of Temu, controlled by Chinese PDD Holdings, and Shein, founded in China but based in Singapore.
Both retailers have surpassed local rivals with ultra low prices for products manufactured in China and have benefited from an EU law that grant tax exemption for remittances of less than 150 euros, as critics say they give an unfair advantage. Clothing, for example, are usually subject to an import tariff of 12% to enter the EU.
Customs operation throughout the EU will prioritize the control of online purchased products that have “significant risks to safety and risk of non-compliance,” said the European Commission, asking for the participation of the Member States. The product list will be determined in agreement with the bloc countries.
According to the commission last year, 91% of all shipping remittances sent to the EU evaluated in less than 150 euros came from China. In total, 4.6 billion low -value remittances reached the EU by 2024, more than twice 2023.
“The increase of these imports sent directly to consumers raises significant challenges that require urgent attention, in particular when imported products can be dangerous, falsified or not complying with EU legislation,” the committee said in the preliminary document.
