Thought the de minimis exemption was only getting attention in the US? Wrong!
French government officials are pushing to add a small handling fee to low-cost items bought online outside of the EU to help curb the surge of packages arriving from Chinese retailers — many of which have diverted inventory headed for the US to the EU in light of US tariffs.
Currently the EU exempts small packages worth under €150 from customs duties, but with over 4.6B packages entering the EU last year, French officials say the system is overwhelmed.
Budget Minister Amélie de Montchalin clarified:
“This isn't a tax on consumers — it's to make these platforms contribute more to checks we must do for security.”
The fee would only be “a few euros” per package and would be paid by importers and platforms, who of course, would likely pass the fee onto their customers.
The EU is planning a broader customs reform by 2028, but France wants a quicker fix, so it's proposing adding handling fees as soon as 2026. It also outlined several key actions set to commence in 2025 including intensifying inspections on foreign e-commerce platforms and a threefold increase in targeted sampling of e-commerce packages.
In April, the UK government also announced that it will review its de minimis rules, which currently allow goods valued up to £135 to enter the country duty-free.