Europe creates its "blouse tax" to contain the advance of Shein, Temu and AliExpress

Platforms like Shein, Temu and Aliexpress have flooded the European market in recent years with ultra-cheap products
Alain Apaydin/ABACA/picture alliance via DW
The European Union (EU) has taken the first step to curb what it calls unfair competition from online retailers like Shein, Temu and AliExpress.
From this Wednesday (1st), a tax of 3 euros (around R$ 17.80) will be applied to low-value e-commerce imports, which previously entered the block tax-free.
Do you have any suggestions for a report? Send it to g1
The measure is yet another setback for platforms that, with ultra-low-cost products coming mainly from China, have been experiencing rapid growth in the European market, generating complaints from domestic competition and public policy makers.
Fees will be charged for each customs classification within a shipment. That is, a package containing three different types of items will incur a total charge of €9, while a package containing several items of the same type (such as dresses or toys) will be charged €3.
Now on g1
Tariff exemptions for low-value imports have existed for decades, with the current limit of €150 introduced in 2008.
However, the number of e-commerce parcels entering the EU under this exemption has soared in recent years, with a jump from 1.4 billion in 2022 to 5.8 billion in 2025.
"In a different commercial world, this made a lot of sense, but that world no longer exists. It has been completely transformed by e-commerce, especially from China," said European lawmaker Dirk Gotink, responsible for customs reform in the European Parliament.
"The exemption was exploited and misused on an industrial scale to create a competitive advantage at the expense of EU companies."
Trend among governments
Although Brussels proposed the charge last year, some EU member states did not want to wait and applied their own rates. Countries should stop applying these national charges, according to a senior European official.
The flat rate will remain in place until July 1, 2028, when the new EU Customs Authority is expected to begin operations. After that, normal customs duties will apply depending on the type of product.
The European Commission, responsible for the EU's trade policy, says the measure aims to reduce the financial burden on customs following the explosion in imports, as well as addressing the security risks posed by unchecked goods.
The United States has already eliminated a similar exemption, and the United Kingdom will follow suit. Brazil, in turn, this year zeroed what was dubbed the "blouse tax", after almost two years in force.
Fair competition
Brussels insists that the measure is not aimed at China, nor any other country, but rather at leveling the playing field between European and foreign companies.
The European retail sector argues that it needs to comply with strict EU rules, while many products coming from abroad do not meet the standards EU-wide targeted inspections in 2025 found that more than 60% of imported items such as toys, cosmetics and electronics had banned ingredients, missing labels or inadequate safety documentation. consumer.
However, platforms may decide to pass on the cost by increasing the price of products. Alternatively, they could pressure suppliers to absorb part of the additional costs to limit price increases for consumers and preserve profitability.
The bloc should also be alert to attempts to circumvent the rule, as well as efforts to redirect small packages to the bloc via alternative routes, such as Switzerland, which does not belong to the EU.
Some major e-commerce players are already considering building warehouses in Europe to import goods in large volumes and distribute them more easily across the continent.
Shein, for example, has been expanding warehouses in Wroclaw, Poland, and shipping more products to the EU in large volumes.
In an attempt to improve product traceability, the EU will make it mandatory, from November 1, 2026, to provide reference data on products.
A processing fee is also planned to help customs authorities deal with rising costs as more orders arrive. The amount of this fee has not yet been defined.
Stores respond
AliExpress, owned by Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, said in a statement that product pages will now display the label "Price includes tariffs and VAT" when applicable.
For other items, customers will see a breakdown of import charges before completing their purchase.
Amazon, which launched its ultra-cheap Amazon Haul service following the rapid growth of Temu and Shein, said 97% of its EU shipments last year were fulfilled from warehouses within the bloc.
For products shipped from outside the EU, customers will also see import charges before finalizing the order, the company said.
Neither Shein nor Temu immediately responded.

Source: G1