Under current EU rules, parcels purchased online from a non-EU country are not subject to customs duties if their value is less than €150.
Two billion parcels with a declared value of less than €150 arrived in the EU from third countries in 2023, according to the Commission, which says "the sheer volume of e-commerce puts customs limits to the test."
According to the FT report, the EU was considering lifting this limit as part of the customs reform project proposed by the Commission in May 2023, but may now seek to speed up its adoption to counter the rise of cheap imports.
"We fully support lawmakers' efforts to reform the de minimis provision," spokesman Shein said, while Alibaba, AliExpress's parent company, has not yet responded to Reuters' requests for comment.
Critics of Shein and Temu in the United States have already complained that they use the import tax exemption there to undercut competition and avoid customs inspections of their products.
Despite high fuel costs, the American Automobile Association predicts that 71 million people will travel for Independence Day and that economic growth will be similar to pre-pandemic levels.
This practice helps both companies offer dresses for as little as $8 and smart watches for $25 to customers around the world.
