[Opinion] Europe wants to stop Chinese parcels, but creates Chinese retailers instead

With new customs duties, Europe aims to slow the rise of Temu, Shein, and AliExpress. But what if Brussels ends up achieving exactly the opposite? The fight against cheap Chinese packages threatens to result in even fiercer competition for European retailers.

Even faster, even more dangerous?

Europe has launched an offensive against the flood of Chinese packages. Since July, a 3-euro customs duty has been in effect for low-cost imported shipments, and as of November 1, a 2-euro processing fee has been added on top of that. For rock-bottom-priced products, that makes a world of difference. “Finally, fair competition for European retailers,” people say with relief. But perhaps they’re celebrating too soon…