The European Union has decided to abolish the customs duty exemption for purchases under 150 euros starting in 2026, a move aimed at curbing the dominance of Chinese e-commerce giants such as Temu, Shein and AliExpress.
However, the decision has raised concerns in Türkiye, which fears that its $7 billion e-export market could be adversely affected.
In response, Türkiye’s Trade Ministry, through its Directorate General for Agreements, has decided to formally request an exemption under the framework of the Customs Union Agreement.
Officials argue that the EU’s decision does not explicitly limit the measure to imports from China, leaving open the possibility that Turkish exporters could also be subject to the new rules.
In 2024 alone, EU countries received 2 billion packages valued below 150 euros, of which 1.8 billion originated from Chinese platforms.
Following a meeting in Brussels, the European Council confirmed that finance ministers had agreed to end the exemption, describing it as a long-term measure to ensure fair competition.
Turkish officials emphasized that negotiations are underway to secure an exemption, noting that Turkey had already tightened its own rules in 2024. The country reduced its duty-free threshold for imports from Chinese e-commerce platforms from 150 euros to 30 euros, with purchases above that level subject to standard customs procedures.
Last year, 4.6 billion such small packages entered the EU, more than 145 per second, with 91 percent originating in China. The EU expects the numbers to rise.
Member states, including France, and the EU executive hope the duty exemption can be done away with from the start of next year, rather than 2028.
They will now work on "a simple, temporary solution to enable earlier implementation as soon as possible", an EU official said last week.
European retailers say they face unfair competition from overseas platforms, such as AliExpress, Shein and Temu, which they claim do not often comply with the EU's stringent rules on products.
"Reaching a political agreement... sends a strong signal that Europe is serious about fair competition and about defending the interests of its businesses," EU trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic said after the agreement.
"Europe must be able to protect its borders effectively and uphold fair competition," he added.
The move comes as the EU strives to bolster the continent's competitiveness by making the lives of European businesses easier through slashing red tape.
France is especially worried since around 800 million such packages were shipped to France alone last year.
