Until now, goods valued under €150 could enter the bloc without paying customs duties under the so-called “de minimis” exemption. Chinese platforms exploited this by shipping billions of low-value parcels directly to European consumers from China, avoiding up to 12% in import duties and bypassing many regulatory checks.
The EU now receives more than two billion of these packages every year, with authorities estimating that up to 65% are undervalued or incorrectly declared. The system helped companies like SHEIN to grow fast while undercutting European retailers.
