European finance ministers agreed on Thursday to bring forward to next year customs duties on low-value parcels arriving in the bloc to crack down on cheap Chinese e-commerce imports, in a move set to hit Chinese online retailers Shein and Temu.

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European finance ministers agreed on Thursday to bring forward to next year customs duties on low-value parcels arriving in the bloc to crack down on cheap Chinese e-commerce imports, in a move set to hit Chinese online retailers Shein and Temu.

The agreement to introduce duties as soon as possible in 2026 by finance ministers meeting in Brussels sets up negotiations with the European Parliament, whose approval is also required.

The European Union is trying to act faster as concern grows over Chinese goods being dumped in Europe.

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The agreement was welcomed across Europe.

“Ending the exemption will close long-standing loopholes that have been systematically been exploited to avoid customs duties,” Denmark’s economy minister Stephanie Lose told a news conference.

German online retailer Zalando, among those pushing the EU to act, said in a statement that the removal of the exemption should be fast-tracked.

Sweden’s retail industry association and Germany’s e-commerce association separately said the finance ministers’ agreement was a first step towards making competition more fair.

Luca Sburlati, chairman of Italy’s fashion lobby Confindustria Moda, said the taxation of parcels under €150 is “essential for the survival of our textile and clothing sector”.

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Shein declined to comment, while Temu, AliExpress, and Amazon did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Shein is facing legal proceedings in France over the sale of child-like sex dolls on its platform.

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  • KyuubiNoKitsune@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
    113·
    1 day ago

    Jesus fucking christ, this is the only way to get affordable electronic components in Sweden.

    Fuck this bullshit. Guess I’m going from €3 for an esp32 to €10-15 for the exact same shit from China, only now I have to pay an extra €10 for delivery on top of that.

    Want resistors? Expect to pay €0.10 each and €10 for delivery.

    I guess that ends that hobby for me.

    This is why DIY is dead in these places.

    • Sepia@mander.xyzOPEnglish
      5·
      1 day ago

      @KyuubiNoKitsune@lemmy.blahaj.zone

      There are many reports on Shein, Temu and other Chinese companies’ sweatshops. As I understand you are from Sweden, there is one by Globalworks Lund AB, an independent not-for-profit enterprise based in Sweden. One report says, among others:

      This research shows how Shein and Temu take exploitation to a new level. Our findings high-light mechanisms and practices that increase price pressure on garment suppliers and vendors. Additional harm is caused by unrelenting delivery speed requirements, which force suppliers to take on overstocking risks or incur penalties for delays. Manufacturers and vendors are finding it increasingly difficult to break even, let alone make a profit. To safeguard their businesses, they not only pay their employees less and force them to work longer hours, but they also adopt an increasingly non-committal management style that weakens job security, base wages, regulated working time, and occupational health and safety standards.

      Globalworks concludes:

      Temu and Shein are spearheading a deeply concerning trend towards the reemergence of a sweatshop economy in which workers labour without formal contracts and under unregulated working hours. Worsening working conditions impact suppliers at lower tiers all over China. Due to intense competition in the fashion industry, more brands and producers will try to follow Shein’s and Temu’s lead. Regulators have little time left to act.

      Here is the entire report: Suppliers and Workers Straightjacketed by Ultra-fast Fashion - Labour and human rights risks at Shein and Temu in China – [pdf]