France wants to add a tax on small parcels from Asia

France is proposing to charge a "handling fee" on every small parcel entering Europe, starting in 2026, to finance controls that will be tightened in response to the influx of low-value parcels sent in particular from China, via platforms such as Shein or Temu.

The idea is to make "importers and platforms, not consumers, pay a small flat rate for parcels," Public Accounts Minister Amélie de Montchalin said Friday. She mentioned "a few euros" per parcel, or "a few cents" per item, during a visit to Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle airport.

"In anticipation of the Customs Union reform in 2028, France will advocate for the rapid establishment at the European level of a handling fee mechanism for each small package entering Europe. The money raised would be used to finance inspections," the minister's office told AFP.

"We cannot act alone, because if we act alone, the flows will go to another country," noted Éric Lombard, Minister of the Economy. "The Netherlands is very interested," and "we hope to bring together a group of countries as soon as possible to implement this measure," added the Minister of Public Accounts.

The tax would be applied from 2026 until 2028, when the European Union could remove the customs tax exemption on parcels worth less than 150 euros arriving from countries outside the European Union.

Four ministers from the Ministry of Finance, Éric Lombard, Amélie de Montchalin, Véronique Louwagie (notably trade and crafts) and Clara Chappaz (artificial intelligence and digital), traveled to Roissy airport, the main entry point for air freight nationwide, to discuss "regulation" and "security of e-commerce platforms."

France will strengthen controls on packages containing cosmetic products or medicines that are potentially dangerous to health, and on the compliance of products with safety standards, as well as ensuring the value of packages (so that they do not escape customs duties), Amélie de Montchalin indicated.

And the names of products withdrawn for non-compliance with the rules will be made public, including on social media, added Véronique Louwagie.