For months now, shopping on Temu, Shein, or AliExpress has been more than just about price. Europe has turned its attention to low-value shipments and has begun adding charges that affect the final cost. This includes a fee for packages under €150 and a new €2 customs line fee, scheduled to take effect in November.
The measure is not a minor detail: it is estimated that some 5.900 billion small parcels entered the EU in 2025 , more than 180 every second and four times the figure for 2022. Most of them come from China, and Brussels wants to finance more controls on products that do not always comply with European standards with these charges.
What's already in place and what's coming in November
As of July 1, 2026, the tariff exemption for shipments up to €150 no longer exists. Instead, a tariff is applied to low-value imports linked to e-commerce. This tariff is not per unit, but rather per group of products that share a classification, description, and origin.
To that amount is added another European fee of €2 per customs item . The European Commission approved it on September 21, and its objective is to cover the checks and controls required for this type of distance selling. In Spain, the Tax Agency will begin testing it from October 1, and its full implementation will begin in November.
The key lies in how it's calculated. The Spanish Tax Agency explains in its guide H7 that you must multiply 2 euros by the number of lines on the customs declaration. Simply counting the items you've put in your shopping cart is not sufficient. A single customs item can encompass several units from the same shipment if they share the same tariff classification, description, and, when required, origin.
For example, a declaration with three items subject to this fee would incur a charge of €6. Furthermore, this charge is separate from the €3 tariff that has been in effect since July. Both can apply to the same import, but there is no universal rule of €5 per package: it all depends on the specific lines of goods and the applicable customs regulations.
The new tax does not increase the VAT base. The effect on the buyer's wallet will depend on whether the platforms decide to absorb the cost or pass it on to the price or shipping costs. Temu, Shein, and AliExpress have not yet specified what they will do, so it's advisable to check the final price before paying.
The Spanish Tax Agency has already published instructions for adapting declarations for low-value shipments and has scheduled a seminar for operators. Product identifiers will also be required. Until November, a testing environment will be implemented to allow customs managers to incorporate the changes.
Impact on Temu and reaction of the platforms
The tightening of regulations has coincided with a drop in traffic to the websites of major Asian platforms. According to data from Médiamétrie cited by French media, Shein lost 36% of its visits in July, and Temu more than 40% . With an average spend of around €10, a €3 charge has a significant impact on the average purchase.
The French online retail sector interprets this price increase as bringing the prices of these platforms closer to those of similar-quality European brands, potentially giving local businesses more profit margins . The platforms, for their part, maintain that the tax increases the cost of shopping for low-income households and that the measure primarily aims to curb products that do not comply with EU regulations.
The companies' response involves bringing inventory and operations closer to Europe . Shein has warehouses in Poland that allow it to keep stock within the EU and, therefore, avoid the surcharge applied to products arriving from outside. Temu has strengthened training for sellers, programs for local brands, and logistics agreements with European operators to adapt to the demands of each market.
In parallel, Temu has promoted training sessions with testing and certification bodies such as Bureau Veritas, QIMA, and TÃœV SÃœD. These sessions, offered through its academy for retailers, cover safety, labeling, and certification in categories such as toys, electronics, textiles, footwear, cosmetics, and packaging. The company has also held meetings with European business associations and chambers of commerce to identify practical obstacles.
The underlying debate isn't solely about revenue collection. Brussels wants customs controls to be able to keep pace with a volume that is overwhelming officials: in 2025, 5.900 billion low-value items entered the EU, four times more than in 2022, and the vast majority came from China. With these figures, inspecting every single package is practically impossible , which explains the interest in shifting part of the cost onto the operators.
The new European customs framework presents Temu and other e-commerce platforms with a different equation: higher costs per declared line item , a fixed tariff per category, and greater pressure to demonstrate that their products comply with regulations. Buyers will notice the change, especially if companies decide to pass on the charges, while European retailers are watching to see if this pressure levels the playing field. The outcome will depend on how the tests are implemented in Spain, the platforms' logistical response, and whether Brussels maintains its current course of controls.
