Proposed EU Customs Reform Increases Online Platforms’ Responsibilities for Imported Goods

A proposed customs reform in the European Union would reportedly shift the responsibility of being an importer from individuals who purchase goods online to the online platforms that sell them.

This change is included in a draft proposal that is set to be published Wednesday (Feb. 5), though it could be altered before then, the Financial Times (FT) reported Saturday (Feb. 1).

The draft proposal would require online platforms to provide data to officials before the goods are shipped to the EU, collect duty and value-added tax (VAT), and ensure the goods comply with EU requirements, according to the report.

It would also abolish a current exemption for goods worth less than €150 (about $154), thereby making these goods subject to paying duty and going through customs checks, per the report.

The proposed customs reform is part of an EU crackdown on a growing number of imports from China that has sparked concerns about dangerous and counterfeit goods being shipped directly to European consumers, the report said.

The EU imported four times as many packages in 2024 as it did in 2024, and more than 90% of them were from China, per the report.

“The surging volume of products that are unsafe, counterfeit or otherwise noncompliant leads to serious safety and health risks for consumers, has an unsustainable impact on the environment, and fuels unfair competition for legitimate businesses, with a significant impact on competitiveness in different sectors,” the draft proposal reads, per the report.

This news came on the same day that it was reported that the additional tariffs being imposed by the U.S. on China, Canada and Mexico, are set to eliminate a “de minimis” exemption that allows packages worth less than $800 to enter the country without paying a tariff.

The provision is part of the additional tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump in an effort to halt the importation of illegal drugs.

It was reported that this exemption is commonly used by Chinese eCommerce retailers to sell goods at lower prices by shipping them directly to customers in the U.S., and that about 10% of exports from China to the U.S. are small shipment covered by the exemption.