The French tax of two euros on small parcels, introduced in March but circumvented by Asian platforms, will be “suspended” on Wednesday, the day of introduction of a European customs duty of three euros to which it was initially to be added, the French government announced on Tuesday June 30.
“As we are in a single market, as we work with our European partners, it is no longer justified to keep only our small parcel tax” in addition to the new European “three euro customs duty”, explained the office of the French Minister of Commerce, Serge Papin, thus changing its tune.
Since March 1, France has implemented a tax of two euros per category of items purchased on non-European e-commerce platforms to curb the influx of “small parcels”, of less than €150, from China.
The circumvented measure
This measure was initially to be combined from July with a European customs duty of three euros per type of item ordered, applied on EU soil, bringing the total to five euros per category of items.
The national tax was then to be replaced by a similar, 100% European system, planned for November, thus harmonizing the rules for the entire single market.
But the targeted players – Shein, Temu, AliExpress, etc. – found a solution by shipping the goods by air to other European countries, then transporting them by road to France.
Hence a “volume shift” of “around 90% since March 1”, the Director General of Customs, Florian Colas, estimated in mid-May, assessing the yield of the tax at “2.3 million per month”, far from the 400 million euros planned for the year by the 2026 budget.
Asked at the end of March about the possible suspension of this measure, an option already chosen by Italy, Serge Papin described its circumvention as “ephemeral”.
But with taxation higher than that of its neighbors, France risked being harmed from July to November. “We love our Belgian friends, but it is not normal (…) that it is only them who get their change” when “the small packages continue to arrive in France despite everything”, summarizes Mr. Papin’s office. “Our objective was (…) to push Europe to take measures” and “we won our case,” he insisted.
“France was truly a pioneer,” added the office of the Minister of Public Accounts, David Amiel.
