E-commerce: How platforms like Shein or Temu bypassed the French tax on small parcels
However, from the first hours following the entry into force of this measure, Chinese platforms have demonstrated a staggering adaptability. In less than 24 hours, they redirected their logistical flows to other European hubs, such as Belgium, where the tax was not applied. The parcels, once cleared in these countries, were then transported by road to France, thus benefiting from the free movement of goods within the European Union.
As a result, customs declarations in France collapsed by 92% in a few days, and French warehouses, once saturated, were deserted.
Gil Lorenzo, Deputy Director General of Customs, acknowledged the failure of this tax. Rather than curbing e-commerce flows, the measure simply moved the problem, revealing the impotence of the French authorities in the face of the agility of Chinese actors. Worse still, customs controls, supposed to be reinforced by tax revenues, could no longer be carried out, depriving the State of an essential tool to ensure the conformity and safety of imported products. According to the Minister of Trade, Serge Papin, 70% of controlled packages were found to be non-compliant, and 45% even posed risks to consumer health. In the face of this massive circumvention, the government attempted to react by extending the powers of customs officers by an order issued on 23 March. They can now check packages already released in another Member State on national territory. However, this measure does not make it possible to recover the 2 euros of tax per item, since the parcels pass freely within the EU.
From 1 July 2026, a European fee of EUR 3 per parcel will be added to the French tax, bringing the total to EUR 5 before being replaced in November by a harmonised European tax.
The failure of this tax illustrates the limitations of national policies in the face of the power and responsiveness of e-commerce giants, as well as the challenges of regulating trade flows in the era of globalization.
The question remains: how can we protect local trade and consumer safety, without increasing taxes or risking new circumvention strategies?
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