Log in
French ministers have proposed strengthening border checks and adding a small 'handling fee' to goods purchased online from outside of the EU.
The proposal is intended to target goods coming from China - as Europe prepares for the country to increase the number of goods sold in Europe following US tariffs - but would apply to purchases made in any non-EU country.
For example, if you were to purchase makeup from a British brand only located in the UK, then it could be subject to additional scrutiny and thus a small handling fee would be added onto the final cost of the product.
Advertisement
As things stand, 'small parcels' (worth less than €150) that are purchased online and sent by mail to consumers in the EU are below the threshold for customs duties, though you do have to pay value-added tax (VAT).
France cannot change the EU customs rules unilaterally, but in 2028, the EU will be able to vote on whether or not to scrap the exemption for customs duties on low-value packages.
Until then, the idea, from the finance minister, Éric Lombard, and public accounts minister, Amélie de Montchalin, as discussed during a visit to Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport on Tuesday, is to add on special handling fees.
In 2024, 4.6 billion packages each worth under €150 entered the EU -- more than 145 per second -- with 91 percent originating in China.
Some 800 million such packages were shipped to France alone last year, and in addition to making it harder for French retailers to compete, they also drive pollution, Le Parisien reported.
How much would the fees be and what do they cover?
According to reporting by AFP, the fee would be 'a few euros or a few cents' per item purchased, and it would help cover the cost of checking the incoming billions of small packages each year ordered by EU consumers via platforms such as Chinese-founded firms Temu and Shein.
In 2023, BFMTV reported that over 225,000 imported toys were destroyed because they did not meet European safety standards.
The French ministers explained that the goal will be for France's consumer affairs body (the DGCCRF) would conduct "360 degree" checks to better verify safety standards and environmental labelling and claims too.
The French government also wants to better combat VAT fraud by de-registering imports which fail to submit requested documents.
According to Le Parisien, the results of these more in-depth inspections will be available to consumers via the DGCCRF website, as well as on the consumer watchdog site (Rappel Conso).
Advertisement
Who would have to pay the fee?
The minister for public accounts said that the handling fee should be paid "by the importers, the platforms, and not consumers".
That said, platforms often pass on extra costs to customers, so it is possible consumers would see increased prices when buying small items from the US or UK.
When would the change take effect?
France hopes such a move could come into force in 2026. The country is also hoping to attract other EU members to the idea to make it harder for platforms to circumvent such a fee.
"We can't do this alone, because if we do this alone the flows will go to another country," Finance Minister Eric Lombard said during the same visit to CDG airport.
"We're hoping to quickly unite a group of countries that could implement such a measure," added de Montchalin.
Foreigners living in France already face extra charges on parcels if the VAT and customs paperwork is not completed correctly.
