The Netherlands will not impose a tax on parcels from China for the time being

After Belgium and France scrapped plans to introduce a tax on e-commerce parcels from outside the EU, the Netherlands has also postponed the introduction of such a parcel tax. After all, a European tax will be introduced in July.

“Until further notice”

Dutch State Secretary Eugène Heijnen is postponing a decision on a Dutch parcel tax “until further notice,” he announced in a letter to the House of Representatives on Tuesday. The Netherlands had planned to introduce a €2 levy on parcels worth up to €150 from outside the EU.

This was in response to the introduction of a similar tax in countries such as Belgium and France: the fear was that Chinese online stores such as Temu and Shein would divert their parcels to the Netherlands. “Belgium, the Netherlands, and France are the European Union member states that handle the most e-commerce,” Heijnen said. “Together, they account for more than 80% of shipments entering the EU.”

But the urgency has disappeared now that Belgium and France have decided not to introduce a parcel tax, pending a European levy of €3 that will come into effect on July 1 this year.