Europe’s textile industry wants Brussels to go well beyond the new €3 customs duty, arguing that billions of low-value e-commerce shipments are overwhelming enforcement systems and distorting competition.
European textile and apparel federation EURATEX has called for a handling fee of around €10 per low-value parcel entering the European Union, intensifying pressure on ultra-fast-fashion platforms and other direct-to-consumer exporters.
The proposal, presented at Première Vision in Paris on September 1, follows the EU’s abolition of its €150 customs-duty exemption and introduction of a temporary €3 customs duty on low-value imports from July 1, 2026. EURATEX argues that €2–€4 charges are too small to cover the real cost of customs processing, product-safety checks, market surveillance and enforcement.
Parcel volumes reshape the trade debate
The scale of e-commerce imports has become central to the argument. According to the European Commission, almost 5.9 billion low-value items entered the EU in 2025, creating growing pressure on customs authorities. The new €3 duty applies to goods valued at up to €150 and will remain in place until July 2028, when normal customs tariffs are scheduled to apply.
EURATEX says revenue from a higher handling charge should be directed towards customs controls, risk analysis, product-safety enforcement and market surveillance rather than functioning simply as another tariff.
Closing the warehouse loophole
The federation is also warning policymakers against rules that apply only to individually shipped parcels. Platforms could otherwise shift goods into bulk imports, EU warehouses or fulfilment centres, potentially preserving the same competitive model through a different logistics structure.
EURATEX therefore wants equivalent traceability and enforcement requirements across both business-to-consumer and business-to-business flows, alongside faster implementation of the EU’s “deemed importer” approach for online platforms.
Pressure rises on ultra-fast fashion
The stakes are considerable for Europe’s textile and clothing sector, which EURATEX says comprises around 200,000 companies and 1.3 million jobs, predominantly SMEs.
For Asian apparel exporters, the important distinction is increasingly between conventional compliant supply chains and direct low-value e-commerce shipments. If Brussels moves towards EURATEX’s €10 benchmark, ultra-low-price cross-border fashion models would face a materially higher cost of accessing European consumers, while established exporters supplying brands and retailers through conventional channels could gain from a more level regulatory playing field.
