EU steps up scrutiny of Chinese e-commerce amid overhaul of customs system

During their first official visit to China in eight years, Members of the European Parliament met with Chinese lawmakers and regulators to examine the country’s business environment and market supervision framework. The delegation explored differences between European and Chinese consumer protection systems, as well as potential areas for cooperation.

As part of the three-day visit that concluded on April 2, they also toured major e-commerce platforms including Alibaba, Shein and Temu. The trip came just a week after the European Union agreed on a sweeping overhaul of its customs system, including stricter rules that will directly impact these platforms, which could face fines if they sell illegal or unsafe goods into the bloc.

The 27-member EU is seeking to better coordinate duty collection and safety checks as it struggles to cope with the surge in low-value e-commerce parcels entering the region. The number of such parcels reached 5.8 billion in 2025, according to a Reuters report on the reforms. 

Representatives from the European Parliament and EU member states reached a provisional agreement on the reforms in late March following extensive negotiations.

Under the proposed system, online platforms selling into the EU would be treated as importers, making them responsible for paying duties and ensuring product safety compliance. Companies that repeatedly violate EU rules could face fines ranging from 1% to 6% of their total annual sales within the bloc.

Currently, the EU does not impose customs duties on parcels valued below €150, a policy that has fueled the rapid expansion of platforms such as Shein, Temu, and AliExpress, which ship goods directly from China to European consumers.

The EU now plans to remove this duty exemption and introduce a €3 fee starting in July as an interim measure. The European Commission is also expected to set an additional handling fee to take effect from November 1.

Meanwhile, the French city of Lille has recently been selected as the headquarters for the future EU Customs Authority (EUCA). The agency, expected to employ around 250 staff, will oversee a new centralized data hub designed to provide a comprehensive digital overview of incoming goods.

The data hub is scheduled to begin handling e-commerce consignments in 2028 and is expected to cover all imported goods by March 1, 2034.

By Nazrin Sadigova