EU de minimis change set to impact Shein and Temu

BRUSSELS – The European Council has agreed to apply a fixed customs duty of €3 on small parcels valued at less than €150 entering the EU, largely via e-commerce, from 1st July 2026, in a move set to impact ultra-fast fashion platforms such as Shein and Temu.

The Council said the temporary change to the de minimis threshold responds to the fact that such parcels currently enter the EU duty free, “leading to unfair competition for EU sellers, health and safety risks for consumers, high levels of fraud and environmental concerns”.