Shopping at Temu or Shein? Bad news on the horizon

EU Considers Removing Duty-Free Limit on Online Shopping

For those who shop from Temu, Shein, or AliExpress, there might be some bad news on the horizon.
The European Commission is considering removing the current duty-free limit on goods purchased from companies such as those involved in ultra-fast fashion.

Sites like Temu and Shein have gained immense popularity over the years due to their ultra-competitive prices.
For instance, you can find a smartwatch for as little as 15-30 euros, along with lamps and vases.
While these items may not boast the quality of high craftsmanship, they fulfill people’s desires instigated by advertisements and societal pressure to own unnecessary accessories inexpensively.
At least, that was the case until now.

Currently, the EU may decide to eliminate the existing duty-free limit of 150 euros.
But why would this impact online stores like Temu and Shein? Here’s everything you need to know about it.

When asked why people choose to purchase clothing, accessories, and items from Temu and Shein, the answer is often the same: the attractive prices.
And it is precisely this aspect that the European Union aims to address.

Reports from international media suggest that such competitive pricing is also due to the exemption of customs duties on products valued below 150 euros, while VAT is still applicable.
The EU’s decision targets online retailers like Temu, Shein, and AliExpress, who deliberately set prices below their actual value to avoid paying customs duties.
This means that if the EU removes this limit, every purchase made on Shein and Temu, even below the minimum threshold, will be subject to customs duties.

These companies will have to transparently display the actual prices on their websites to ensure that consumers are not suddenly faced with higher bills due to taxes.

However, it is challenging to predict exactly how much more expensive it will be to shop on non-EU websites like AliExpress, Temu, and Shein in the future.
Additionally, some industry experts fear that such measures may not be enough to level the playing field with these ultra-fast fashion sites.

If many saw Temu and Shein as a way to cut costs and cope with the rising prices of essential goods, it is crucial to question the ethics of buying from companies that thrive on exploiting labor and harming the environment.

A few months ago, Bloomberg investigated Temu’s supply chain and revealed that around ten products sold by the site in the US come from companies located in Xinjiang, the Chinese region where Uighurs have been subjected to severe repression by Beijing for years.

Lastly, there is the issue of pollution.
As mentioned in a recent article on Temu’s success secret, a company that values materials throughout the production chain cannot sell at low prices.
The impact of ultra-fast fashion in hyper-consumerism dynamics is significant, leading to a planet reshaped by waste and human rights violations.