Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The European Union needs to address small parcels coming from China, Dutch Finance Minister Eelco Heinen said on Thursday. He added that he will talk with other EU finance ministers about starting to apply customs duties to packages worth less than 150 euros as well.
“We need to get a grip on small parcels coming to EU from China,”
Heinen told reporters ahead of a meeting with his European counterparts held in Brussels.
On the other hand, as reported by Reuters, the European Union also aims to speed up the elimination of a 150-euro threshold. Below this amount, Europe does not impose customs duties on parcels entering the bloc. This move targets low-cost Chinese imports.
Why did Maros Sefcovic urge faster implementation of reforms?
In a letter to the EU finance minister, Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic suggested that the “de minimis” threshold be removed in the first quarter of 2026. This is two years sooner than originally scheduled.
“As things currently stand, the actual abolition of the de minimis threshold will only take place in mid-2028. This timeline is incompatible with the urgency of the situation and with our shared interests,”
the letter from Sefcovic said.
“If we act with the required political determination and pragmatism, a workable solution could be put in place for Q1, 2026,” he said.
Faced with 4.6 billion small packages arriving in Europe each year, mostly from China, the Commission, the EU’s executive arm, is under pressure from local companies to reduce that flow more quickly. EU finance ministers are set to discuss the proposals on Thursday.
How will the proposed two-euro flat fee work?
In May, the European Union proposed a two-euro flat fee on billions of small packages sent directly to people’s homes. Most of these packages currently come from China. The new tax meant that packages worth less than 150 euros are no longer customs-free. Online marketplaces, including Chinese giants Temu and Shein, are expected to pay the fee, said EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic.
Such a volume created a huge workload for EU customs staff, Sefcovic said. He argued it presented challenges in ensuring the safety and quality of goods entering the bloc were properly checked. The two-euro fee will apply to packages sent directly to consumers. Parcels sent to warehouses will be taxed at a lower rate of 0.50 euros.
