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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 a repression against the flow of imports from China.
According to a proposal project observed by the Financial Times, customs reforms would force online platforms to provide data before the arrival of goods in the EU, allowing managers to better control and inspect packages. The proposal comes in the midst of concerns about the increase in dangerous and counterfeit goods shipped from Asia directly to European customers.
Currently, anyone from the EU who buys online goods is treated as the importer for customs purposes. But the reforms, if adopted, would change the responsibility of the platforms.
“The growing volume of dangerous products, counterfeit or non -non -compliant leads to serious risk of safety and health for consumers, has an unbearable impact on the environment and feeds unfair competition for legitimate companies, with a significant impact on Competitiveness in different sectors, ”says the proposal.
The EU imported plots of 4.6 billion value in 2024, a quadruple increase compared to 2022. More than 90% came from China. The volume of these articles puts “unsustainable pressure on the authorities”, according to the project.
Under reforms, online retailers should “perceive relevant duty and VAT” and “ensure the compliance of goods with other EU requirements”. The proposal also removes a current exemption for goods worth 150 to 150 € by paying the rights, which makes them subject to customs checks.
The customs on customs of the 27 national authorities will be pooled and a new EU customs authority (EUCA) has been set up, according to the project. The document is still being discussion internally and could change before publication on February 5.
“The EUCA would be able to filter the goods according to this information and to identify the potential risks, even before the loading of goods for transport or their physical arrival in the EU,” said the document.
“This will allow customs authorities to have a complete overview of supply chains, anticipate import and export controls and make control recommendations to the Member States.”
Counterfeiting costs the clothing industry of almost 12 billion euros in annual sales (5% of income), the cosmetics industry 3 billion euros (5% of sales) and the toy industry 1 billion euros (almost 9% of sales), according to the proposal.
The new block waste rules will also force sellers to contribute to the cost of eliminating unwanted products, including clothing, adds the document.
The EU will also plan to impose treatment costs by package, a plan revealed for the first time by the FT.
According to separate rules, the behavioral police of large online platforms, the commission is already investigating Shein and Amazon and has started procedures against Aliexpress and Temu.
Online markets are exempt from responsibility for goods sold on their website by other suppliers unless they knowingly sell illegal or dangerous products or do not delete them when detected.
TEMU and Shein all told the FT before that they had in accordance with the EU rules. TEMU said that he supported the policy changes that benefit consumers.
Amazon said that he had implemented proactive measures to prevent dangerous or non -compliant products to be listed on its site.
