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China’s Response to the EU’s New Parcel Fees—and How They Work
On November 5, 2026, China’s Commerce Ministry said it was highly concerned about the EU’s new charges and urged Brussels to assess their impact carefully and support China–EU e commerce cooperation. The €3 duty, in force since July 1, applies to low value consignments up to €150; the €2 handling fee began November...
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Key takeaways
- On November 5, 2026, China’s Commerce Ministry said it was highly concerned about the EU’s new charges and urged Brussels to assess their impact carefully and support China–EU e commerce cooperation.
- The €3 duty, in force since July 1, applies to low value consignments up to €150; the €2 handling fee began November 1 and applies by product category, regardless of value.
- Huang Ling described cross border e commerce as giving businesses and consumers more choice; the report does not quote her naming Shein or Temu or making specific claims about Chinese exporters.
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openai.comCreate a landscape editorial hero image for this Studio Global article: How did China’s Commerce Ministry and spokesperson Huang Ling respond on November 5 to the EU’s €2 handling fee introduced on November 1 and. Article summary: On November 5, 2026, China’s Commerce Ministry expressed concern about the EU’s new charges and urged Brussels to assess their effects carefully and create favorable conditions for China–EU e-commerce cooperation. [16] T. Topic tags: general, news, general web, government. Style: premium digital editorial illustration, source-backed research mood, clean composition, high detail, modern web publication hero. Use reference image context only for broad subject, composition, and topical grounding; do not copy the exact image. Avoid: logos, brand marks, copyrighted characters, real person likenesses, fake screenshots, UI text, readable text, watermarks, charts with
China’s Commerce Ministry responded to the European Union’s new import charges with concern, not a detailed rebuttal of how they affect individual exporters or platforms. On November 5, spokesperson Huang Ling urged the EU to assess the policies’ impact carefully and create favorable conditions for China–EU cooperation in e-commerce and other areas. 14
What Huang Ling said
Huang said China was highly concerned about the EU’s €2 handling fee, which took effect on November 1, following a €3 customs duty introduced in July. She described cross-border e-commerce as a new form of international trade that offers global businesses and consumers more choices. 14
Her reported remarks did not specifically name Shein or Temu, or detail effects on particular Chinese exporters. Those companies appear in coverage of the EU measures, but that is separate from what the available account attributes to Huang. 1
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How the €2 fee and €3 duty differ
The charges are separate and have different rules:
- €3 customs duty: From July 1, 2026, the EU applies a temporary €3 duty per item to low-value consignments with an intrinsic value of up to €150. The measure ended the previous customs-duty exemption for these consignments. The flat duty is scheduled to apply until July 1, 2028, when normal product-specific customs duties are due to take over.
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- €2 handling fee: From November 1, the EU applies a €2 handling fee to qualifying online purchases shipped from outside the bloc. Unlike the temporary duty, the handling fee applies regardless of the goods’ value and is charged by item category or declaration line—not once per parcel.
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For the handling fee, a parcel of identical T-shirts classified under one category would attract one €2 charge. A parcel containing T-shirts and hats classified as two categories would attract €4 in handling fees. This example covers the €2 fee alone, not any applicable customs duty or other charges. 9
The EU Parliament says the handling fee is paid by the same entity responsible for other customs charges on the parcel. That identifies who is liable in the customs process; it does not establish whether a seller or platform ultimately absorbs the cost or passes it on to shoppers.
One report describes the handling fee as permanent and non-refundable, including when goods are returned. That statement concerns the handling fee; the available evidence here does not establish a general rule about refunds of customs duties. 8
Why the EU introduced the fee—and what the numbers show
The European Commission says the handling fee is intended to compensate for rising customs-authority costs, including the digital and staff resources needed to supervise imports. Separately, Reuters reported that EU charges targeting low-cost e-commerce parcels could generate €6 billion a year for the EU budget from 2028 through 2034. That is a projection, not revenue already collected. 1
Reuters also reported that 5.8 billion parcels valued below €150 entered the EU in the previous year, up 26% from the year before, citing the European Commission. The report said the Commission estimated that most were undervalued to avoid customs duties. 1
The figures help explain the EU’s focus on processing large volumes of low-value imports, but they do not establish how much the new fees will ultimately cost consumers or how much trade they will divert. China’s November 5 statement, meanwhile, called for careful assessment of the measures’ effects and continued cooperation. 14
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What is the short answer to "China’s Response to the EU’s New Parcel Fees—and How They Work"?
On November 5, 2026, China’s Commerce Ministry said it was highly concerned about the EU’s new charges and urged Brussels to assess their impact carefully and support China–EU e commerce cooperation.
What are the key points to validate first?
On November 5, 2026, China’s Commerce Ministry said it was highly concerned about the EU’s new charges and urged Brussels to assess their impact carefully and support China–EU e commerce cooperation. The €3 duty, in force since July 1, applies to low value consignments up to €150; the €2 handling fee began November 1 and applies by product category, regardless of value.
What should I do next in practice?
Huang Ling described cross border e commerce as giving businesses and consumers more choice; the report does not quote her naming Shein or Temu or making specific claims about Chinese exporters.
Sources
english.scio.gov.cnChina voices concern over EU's new fees on low-value imports
reuters.comEXCLUSIVE: EU fees that hit cheap Shein, Temu parcels could raise €6 billion, document shows