HDE expects low-cost imports to continue despite new EU customs fees

The German Retail Association (HDE) expects that new EU customs regulations will not stop the influx of low-cost packages from non-EU countries, specifically targeting platforms like Temu and Shein.

Since July, a flat customs fee of three euros per product group per shipment has been applied following the abolition of the 150-euro tax-free limit. An additional two-euro processing fee is scheduled to begin in November. While these measures have caused a 30% to 40% drop in package volumes in France, HDE Managing Director Stefan Genth estimates that Germany's volume may only decrease from approximately 400,000 to 300,000 daily shipments.

Genth notes that the current fees are insufficient to offset the extremely low prices offered by Chinese manufacturers. Furthermore, customs authorities face challenges in monitoring hundreds of thousands of daily deliveries through random sampling alone. The HDE is calling for digital solutions, including networked data across European customs authorities and the establishment of liable economic actors based within the EU to ensure effective market oversight.