Unlock free Digest editor
Roula Khalaf, editor of FT, chooses her favorite story in this weekly newsletter.
EU plans to do platforms for E -trade such as a theme, Shein and Amazon Marketplace responsible for dangerous or illegal products sold online, in suppressing imports of imports from China.
According to the draft proposal seen by the Financial Times, customs reforms would be mandatory Internet platforms Give data before the goods arrive in the EU, allowing officials to better control and inspect the packages. The proposal comes due to concern due to the increase in dangerous and forged goods shipped from Asia directly to European customers.
Currently any individual in EU which buys goods through the Internet is treated as an importer for customs purposes. But reforms, if adopted, would transfer responsibility to platforms.
“Racial quantities of products that are insecure, counterfeit or otherwise do not in accordance with serious security and health risks for consumers, has an unsustainable environmental impact and promotes unfair competition for legitimate companies, with a significant impact on competitiveness in different sectors,” writes, ” in the proposal.
In 2024, the EU imported 4.6 billion plots of lower value, a fourfold increase in 2022. More than 90 percent were from China. The whole volume of these objects sets “an unsustainable load of power,” the draft states.
According to reforms, internet traders would have to “collect relevant duty and VAT” and “ensure the harmonization of goods with other EU requirements”. The proposal also abolishes the current exemption for goods worth less than 150 euros from the payment of duties, making them the background of customs checks.
Customs data from 27 national authorities will be united and a new central EU customs body (Euca) will be erected, according to the draft. The document is still discussed internally and can be changed before the announcement of February 5th.
“Euca could review the goods on the basis of these data and identify potential risks, even before loading goods for transportation or their physical arrival in the EU,” the document reads.
“This will allow the customs authorities to have a complete overview of supply chains, providing control of imports and exports and providing recommendations for controlling Member States.”
Counterfeit costs clothing that is close to 12 billion euros in annual sales (5 percent of revenue), the cosmetic industry of 3 billion euros (5 percent of sales) and a toy industry 1 billion euros (almost 9 percent of sales), the proposal states.
The new Block waste rules will also oblige sellers to contribute to the cost of disposal of unwanted products, including clothing, the document adds.
The EU will also consider imposing a package handling fee, a plan that first discovered FT.
According to the separate rules of the police on the large network platform market, the Commission is already investigating Shein and Amazon and has started proceedings against Aliexpress and theme.
Internet markets are exempted from the responsibility for the goods that other suppliers sell on their website unless they sell illegal or dangerous products consciously or fail to remove them quickly when detected.
The theme and Shein have previously been told by FT that they are in accordance with EU rules. He announced the topic that he supports changes in policy benefits from consumers.
Amazon said he had proactive measures to prevent uncertain or indisputable products listed in his place.
