The European Union wants to hold e-commerce platforms such as Temu, Shein and Amazon accountable for the goods they import into Europe. This should help the EU to better monitor and regulate the influx of products from China.
Marketplaces responsible
This new legislation should amend customs regulations, which the EU deems necessary due to growing concerns about dangerous and counterfeit products being shipped directly from Asia to European consumers. Currently, each individual buyer in the EU is considered an importer, but the proposed reform would shift that responsibility to the online platforms.
The online platforms would be required to submit their data before their goods arrive in the EU, enabling customs officials to more efficiently check the large volume of parcels. The marketplaces would also be responsible for collecting customs duties and VAT, and for ensuring that the products comply with EU regulations.
European customs agency
Currently, goods worth under 150 euros are exempt from customs checks. However, that exception would be abolished. The draft proposal describes the reform as necessary, as the increase in unsafe and counterfeit goods poses a serious threat to public health, the environment, and fair competition, the Financial Times reports.
A threat to this new policy is that the customs services of member states are already struggling with capacity shortages and understaffing. The proposal therefore includes the establishment of a central EU customs agency (EUCA), which would consolidate customs data from the 27 national authorities and conduct risk analyses to identify suspicious goods before they are transported or arrive in the EU.
Investigations into Shein and Amazon
Alongside the customs reforms, the European Commission is investigating Shein and Amazon regarding the sale of counterfeit or unsafe products. Similar proceedings are underway against AliExpress and Temu, which are allegedly not taking sufficient measures to prevent illegal or dangerous products. Currently, major platforms are only liable for these categories of products.
In 2024, the EU imported 4.6 billion low-value parcels, four times more than in 2022 – just two years earlier. More than 90 % of these packages came from China. Counterfeit products cost the European clothing and cosmetics industries 5 % of their annual revenue, which is even nearly 9 % for the toy sector.
