The European Union is pushing to bring forward a bloc-wide handling fee on small online parcels from platforms like Shein, Temu and Alibaba, aiming to introduce the charge in early 2026 — more than two years ahead of the current timeline, the Financial Times reported.
In a letter to EU finance ministers, trade commissioner Maros Šefčovič argued that speeding up the measure is necessary to curb the flood of low-cost Chinese imports entering the bloc each year. The European Commission urged ministers meeting on Thursday to approve the accelerated rollout, saying the fee would help shield local retailers from unfair competitive pressure.
