Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on November 12, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleThe EU aims to impose handling fees on cheap Chinese imports by 2026, accelerating the timeline to protect local businesses from unfair competition.
(Reuters) -The European Union has called for a bloc-wide handling fee on small packages ordered online from platforms such as Shein, Temu and Alibaba to be imposed in early 2026, over two years earlier than scheduled, in a bid to crack down on billions of cheap Chinese imports each year, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday, citing a letter from trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic to EU finance ministers.
The European Commission urged EU finance ministers meeting on Thursday to agree the faster implementation to protect domestic retailers from unfair competition, the report said.
Reuters could not immediately confirm the report.
(Reporting by Gnaneshwar Rajan in Bengaluru; Editing by Leslie Adler)
A handling fee is a charge applied to the processing and delivery of goods, often used to cover costs associated with handling and shipping items, particularly in e-commerce.
Domestic retail refers to the sale of goods and services to consumers within a country's borders, focusing on local markets and businesses.
Imports are goods and services brought into a country from abroad for sale. They are essential for meeting domestic demand and can affect local economies.
Unfair competition refers to practices that are deceptive or fraudulent in nature, harming other businesses and violating fair trade laws.
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