Small parcels taxed from the start of 2026: Shein and Temu in the sights of the European Union

While the problems are piling up for Chinese e-commerce platforms, from Shein to Temu via AliExpress, the European Union is finally tightening the screws in the face of a tireless influx of orders on the Old Continent. A recent meeting of the Twenty-Seven resulted in the arrival of a tax on small parcels… and it starts at the start of 2026.

The tax on small parcels arrives earlier than expected in Europe, here is the amount to pay

The tax on small parcels is finally about to arrive in the coming weeks. Following the meeting of the member countries of the European Union, at the express request of Paris, the finance ministers agreed to implement these customs fees from the first quarter of 2026.

The objective here is to end the exemption from customs duties on parcels with a value of less than €150, aka “small packages”. As we write these lines, the directive has not really been adopted by the European Union, which is awaiting a new meeting of ministers, scheduled for December 12, 2025. Proposals are still on the table.

“The European Commission is campaigning for a flat rate when France would prefer a fixed levy, for example 5 euros per package, arguing that Chinese exporters do not hesitate to underestimate the value of their packages”explains Le Monde.

Faced with anti-competitive practices or the sale of products that do not comply with European legislation, it is high time that the flow of small parcels is reduced, in a dissuasive manner for exporters and consumers.

For information, the number of orders of this type amounted to 12 million in 2024, twice as many as in 2023 and three times as many as in 2022 – 90% of which came from China.

At the start of the year, it was planned to introduce management fees for €2 per small parcelcoming on top of customs duties arriving early next year. A battle against Shein, Temu and company which is only just beginning for the European Union.