FT: The EU wants to put Chinese Discount Stores under control with import duties

The EU is planning increasing import duties for products ordered from Chinese online stores, reports financial media Financial Times (FT).

The EU’s purpose is to curb the problem of ordering cheap products from Chinese online stores that do not meet EU safety standards.

According to FT’s sources, the European Commission is removing the current 150 euro import duty-free limit for e-commerce purchases made outside the EU.

According to one of FT’s sources, the EU’s sights are especially on the Chinese online shopping platforms Temu and Ali Express, as well as the online store Shein, which specializes in clothes.

I:ssa the number of products found to be dangerous increased by more than 50 percent from 2022 to 2023, when 3,400 of them were reported. The most safety problems occurred in cosmetics, toys, electrical appliances and clothes.

The European toy industry said in February that it had ordered 19 toys from Temu, none of which met EU standards and 18 of which were found to be dangerous for children.

Last in 2018, 2.3 billion products under the customs border were ordered into the EU from outside the Union.

China supports online stores in their transportation costs, thanks to which Chinese Online Stores are able to send their products at very low prices.

One of FT’s sources stated that the removal of import duty-free customs in the EU could be made more difficult by the fact that it would increase the workload of already overworked customs officials.

The online stores Temu and Ali Express announced that they are open to cooperation with the EU legislators in order to maintain their position in the Union market.

Correction 4.7. 12:14 p.m.: Earlier, it was erroneously written in the article that the 150 euro import duty-free limit is being lowered. The border is planned to be removed completely.