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The EU plans to make electronic commerce platforms such as Temu, Shein and Amazon Marketplace responsible for dangerous or illegal products sold online, in an offensive against the avalanche of imports of China.
According to a draft of the proposal observed by the Financial Times, customs reforms would force online platforms to provide data before the goods reach the EU, which allows officials to control and inspect the packages better. The proposal occurs in the midst of concerns about the increase in dangerous and counterfeit goods sent from Asia directly to European clients.
Currently, any individual in the EU who bought online products is treated as the importer for customs purposes. But the reforms, if adopted, would change the responsibility for the platforms.
“The growing volume of products that are insecure, falsified or non -compliance leads to serious health and safety risks for consumers, has an unsustainable impact on the environment and feeds unfair competition for legitimate companies, with a significant impact on the Competitiveness in different sectors, ”says the proposal.
The EU imported 4.6 billion plots of lower value in 2024, an increase of four times by 2022. More than 90 percent were from China. The great volume of these elements puts an “unsustainable tension in the authorities,” according to the draft.
According to reforms, online retailers would have to “collect the duty and relevant VAT” and “guarantee compliance with goods with other EU requirements.” The proposal also abole a current exemption of goods worth less than € 150 to pay duty, which is subject to customs checks.
Customs data from the 27 national authorities will be grouped and a new Central Customs Authority of the EU (EUCA) will be established, according to the draft. The document is still being discussed internally and could change before the publication on February 5.
“Euca could detect products based on this information and identify potential risks, even before the loading of transport products or their physical arrival in the EU,” says the document.
“This will allow customs authorities to have a complete overview of supply chains, anticipate import and exports controls and make control recommendations to member states.”
Falsification costs the clothing industry about € 12 billion in annual sales (5 percent of revenue), the cosmetics industry € 3 billion (5 percent of sales) and the toy industry € 1 one billion (almost 9 percent of sales), according to the proposal.
The new block rules of the block will also force sellers to contribute to the cost of eliminating unwanted products, including clothing, adds the document.
The EU will also consider imposing a package handling rate, a plan revealed for the first time by the FT.
According to the separate rules that monitor the market behavior of large online platforms, the Commission is already investigating Shein and Amazon and has begun procedures against Aliexpress and Temu.
Online markets are exempt from responsibility for goods sold on their website by other suppliers unless they sell illegal or dangerous products knowingly or not eliminating them quickly when detected.
Temu and Shein have previously said to the FT that comply with the EU rules. Temu has said that it supports policy changes that benefit consumers.
Amazon has said that it has current proactive measures to prevent insecure or not complying products from being included in place.
