European Union imports of cheap ecommerce parcels jump 26pc in 2025

The number of low-value ecommerce parcels entering the European Union increased to 5.8 billion in 2025, a 26 percent rise from the previous year, the European Commission said on Monday as the bloc plans to impose fees on the cheap products currently imported duty-free.

The EU's "de minimis" customs duty exemption for parcels valued at less than 150 euros has helped fuel rapid growth at online shopping platforms such as Temu and Shein, which send packages from China direct to consumers.

EU lawmaker Dirk Gotink, chief negotiator on the new customs legislation, said imports ⁠of low-value packages were growing "at an unsustainable rate".

"It underlines the urgent need to frontload the European handling fee to July this year and to finalise the customs reform within the next months," Gotink said in a statement.

The EU plans to impose a 3 euro fee on low-value parcels starting on July 1, as a temporary measure before a final agreement is reached to scrap the duty exemption.

The issue gained new urgency last year when the U.S scrapped its de minimis policy, raising fears that cheap Chinese products would be redirected en masse to Europe.

The Commission has previously said it estimates some 65 percent of small parcels entering the EU were undervalued to avoid customs duties, and it also sees risks of harm to consumers from non-compliant products and of damage to EU industries, notably retailers, from the import surge. The majority of the parcels come from China.

REUTERS