Brussels has focused on the low-cost online shopping from platforms like Temu and SheinAfter years of warnings and debates, European institutions have reached a political agreement that completely changes the rules of the game for these e-commerce giants that flood the EU market with cheap shipments from outside the Union.
The new regulatory package is not a simple technical adjustment: it involves the biggest reform of the customs union since 1968 and seeks to tackle several problems at once: the flood of low-value packages, tax fraud, the entry of potentially dangerous products and unfair competition against traditional trade and European companies that do comply with the rules.
A plot twist: Temu and Shein become full importers
One of the most profound changes of the reform is that Large online platforms are no longer mere intermediariesIn Brussels' view, companies like Temu and Shein will be considered importers for all intents and purposes when they sell remotely to consumers within the EU.
This means that They, and not the buyer, will bear the main legal and economic burden.They will have to guarantee that the goods comply with European regulations, manage customs procedures, provide all relevant information to the authorities, and be held accountable for any infringements. This puts an end to the model in which the consumer ended up being the weak link and, in practice, ultimately responsible for resolving problems with irregular shipments.
To reinforce this change in responsibilities, the regulations state that The platforms will have to be established in the EU or have a representative in the bloc that holds the status of authorized economic operator or trusted operator. The aim is to avoid opaque structures or the use of "shell companies" that make it difficult to determine responsibility when something goes wrong.
In the event of repeated breaches of customs rules or European legislation applicable to the products, The fines may range from 1% to 6% of the total value of goods imported in the last 12 monthsFurthermore, customs authorities may suspend or withdraw these platforms' status as trusted operators and classify them as high-risk operators, which will entail much stricter controls.
New rates for cheap packages: goodbye to preferential treatment
The reform also affects the platforms' bottom line. completely change the treatment of low-value packages, the preferred format of Temu, Shein and other non-EU sellers to reach the European consumer with very aggressive prices.
Until now, shipments with a value of less than 150 euros benefited from customs exemptions that, according to Brussels, created an unfair competitive advantage compared to European retail. In 2025 alone, some 5.900 billion low-value items shipped directly to end consumers entered the EU market, and around 90% of them came from China.
As a first step, the EU has approved the implementation of a fixed surcharge of 3 euros on packages under 150 euros Effective July 1, 2026, this fee will be charged per tariff category included in each shipment and will temporarily replace the current exemption for small packages. The measure aims to alleviate pressure on customs and, at the same time, level the playing field with European shops and businesses.
In addition, a new European “management fee” which must begin to be applied, at the latest, in November 2026. Its amount is not yet finalized, but it will be calculated based on the minimum costs assumed by the authorities when processing and controlling these shipments, from computer systems to the personnel needed for risk analysis and physical inspections.
This handling fee will be paid by the same entity that covers the rest of the customs expenses for the package—that is, the platforms themselves or their representatives—to prevent it from being passed directly on to the end consumer. The European Commission will periodically review its amount to adjust it to the actual costs of inspection.
A single, digital customs system for the entire Union
Beyond the rates, the heart of the reform lies in Modernize the EU's customs architecture with a large European data centerThe Council and Parliament have agreed to create a European Customs Data Centre that will act as a one-stop shop for importers and exporters across the bloc.
According to the agreed schedule, The platform will begin operating for e-commerce on July 1, 2028to gradually expand its scope to cover all movements of goods by March 1, 2034. The goal is for this system to become the EU's single digital customs entry point, reducing duplication between the different Member States.
In parallel, the European Union Customs Authority (EUCA)The agency will coordinate risk management and support national customs with real-time data. Its headquarters will be in Lille, the city that won out over other candidates—including Málaga—in the selection process that closed at the end of March 2026.
With this model, companies will only have to send your shipment information once to the centralized platformand the authorities of any EU country will be able to consult it. The Commission estimates that, thanks to this digitization and the elimination of parallel systems, Member States could save up to €2.000 billion per year in operating costs.
But the key isn't just the savings: by having real-time sales data, Customs officials will be able to identify risks before products physically reach the border.In practice, this will allow for the curbing of problematic shipments destined for any point in the Union, something especially relevant for platforms with a huge volume of transactions such as Temu or Shein.
Why Brussels is tightening the net around Temu and Shein
European institutions have been warning for some time about tsunami of packages entering the community market dailyAccording to recent data, in 2024 the EU imported 4.600 billion e-commerce parcels valued at less than €150, approximately 91% of which came from China. This surge in shipments has dramatically increased the workload at customs offices and highlighted the limitations of the current system.
In addition to this volume, other factors have raised concerns: cases of unsafe products, counterfeiting, and tax fraud practicesIn 2024 alone, EU customs detected some 64.000 cases of goods posing a health risk and seized around 112 million counterfeit items. Much of this problem is linked to low-cost online commerce and supply chains that are difficult to trace.
Platforms like Temu or Shein have benefited for years from rules designed for a much lower trading volumeThese measures, based on simplified treatment for small shipments, have resulted in a model where millions of low-value packages cross borders daily with limited controls—a situation Brussels now considers unsustainable.
With the reform, the EU is trying to close the legal loopholes that allowed some operators to "play" with the systemBy making platforms full importers, forcing them to provide detailed information on each sale, and imposing significant penalties for non-compliance, Brussels aims to ensure that these companies integrate the real cost of customs control and product safety into their business model.
At the same time, the reform is designed to to protect European companies that do comply with the rules and that, until now, they saw how they competed with low cost products which arrived with fewer controls and a lower tax burden. The idea is that the final price should better reflect the real cost of complying with EU regulations.
Consumer and business reaction to the new scenario
Consumer organizations have generally been supportive of this change in approach. The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) has described the reform as “The end of impunity” for platforms that ignored European security standards and has celebrated that, finally, the responsibility is no longer being placed on the individual buyer.
BEUC emphasizes that Europe has been overwhelmed by the avalanche of packages coming from China And that customs, with current resources, couldn't keep up. For consumer advocates, holding Temu, Shein, and other online giants responsible for what they put on the market is a logical step if we want to guarantee safe products and fair competition.
However, these organizations also ask that The reform must be accompanied by real resources for the national authorities.Without investment in personnel, technology, and coordination, they fear the new framework will remain a dead letter. Strengthening the EUCA and the data center is seen as a good start, but they insist it will need to be adequately resourced.
On the business side, especially among large e-commerce operators and export sectors, The increase in costs and obligations is a concern.Some industry associations have gone so far as to speak of "incalculable risk" due to the impact of the new rates and the strengthening of controls, especially for those operating with narrow margins and very high volumes.
Even so, Brussels maintains that the system is designed to Reward operators who comply and focus controls on those at highest riskIn fact, trusted operator status will continue to exist, with fewer burdens for companies that demonstrate a history of rigorous compliance.
Overall, the new framework marks a profound change in the EU's relationship with low-cost giants like Temu and Shein: they will no longer be able to operate as almost invisible actors behind millions of scattered shipmentsbut as fully identified importers subject to the same discipline as the rest of the companies that sell in the single market.
Everything suggests that, in the coming years, buying on these platforms from Spain or any other European country will still be possible, but under stricter rules, with Greater traceability, more control over what arrives at the consumer's home, and less room to evade tax and security obligationsA change of stage that Brussels presents as essential to adapt the customs union to the reality of global electronic trade.
