Declared VAT amounts plunged by 48%: the government indicates that the European tax caused a sharp drop in the number of small parcels sent to France between June and August
Since July 1, the European Union has imposed a tax of 3 euros on each category of products contained in imported packages worth less than 150 euros. A “processing fee” of 2 euros will be added from November 1st.
The government indicated on Wednesday that the number of small parcels sent to France had fallen between June and August, according to the VAT amounts declared, seeing this as "tangible results" of the implementation of a European tax in July. Declared VAT amounts plunged by 48% between June and August for small parcels in France, according to Minister of Action and Public Accounts David Amiel. This fall must be considered both in terms of volumes and in value of small parcels to France from sites such as Shein, Temu and AliExpress, his office clarified during a press conference in Bercy.
Since July 1, the European Union has imposed a tax of 3 euros on each category of products contained in imported packages worth less than 150 euros. In addition, a "processing fee" of 2 euros will be added from November 1, with the same conditions, with the aim of financing the strengthening of customs controls. Decline in site traffic Nearly 5.9 billion small parcels entered the European Union in 2025, or more than 180 every second.
This is four times more than in 2022. Of this total, 93% came from China, generally via sites like Shein, Temu, AliExpress. Faced with such an avalanche of goods, which is widening the European trade deficit, it is impossible to systematically control packages.
This allows dangerous or counterfeit products to slip through the cracks. European industrialists and traders have long denounced unfair competition and several countries, led by France, have pushed the European Union to act to stem the phenomenon. Wednesday in Bercy during the same press conference, the Minister of Commerce Serge Papin also welcomed the drop in attendance at Shein (-42%), Temu (-36%) and AliExpress (-10%) in the month of July "and a drop in sales in value" of around -25% in the month of September.
“These figures send strong messages that our action has effects,” he rejoiced. “We still have work,” David Amiel clarified, however, because “the operators are adapting their logistics and the investigations take time.”
Machine-translated from French
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2 independent newsrooms report this story. BFM Business published it first, 44 min before the last one.
- BFM Business28 Oct, 10:50
- 20 Minutes28 Oct, 11:35
| Publisher BFM Business (established tier) | +76 |
| Detailed summary | +2 |
| Carried by 2 newsrooms | +5 |
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