Temu and Shein

Brunner also in favor of abolishing the duty-free limit

Brunner called for a "level playing field for all".

(Bild: AP)

Following Germany's Economics Minister Robert Habeck, Austria's Finance Minister Magnus Brunner has also spoken out in favor of abolishing the duty-free limit of 150 euros in the discussion about Asian shopping portals such as Temu and Shein. The background to this is the enormous quantities of parcels from China that are delivered to the EU.

The Asian online platforms mainly use air freight. For orders from non-EU countries, no fees have to be paid on import for parcels with a value of less than 150 euros. Recently, authorities have increasingly identified deficiencies and breaches of regulations, such as under-invoicing, for products from third countries that are shipped to the EU.

Finance Minister Markus Brunner

(Bild: APA/HELMUT FOHRINGER)

The EU Commission has therefore already proposed a number of changes in the area of e-commerce. For example, the customs exemption is to be abolished and online sales platforms are to be made more accountable by making them responsible for collecting customs duties and VAT and making the necessary data on internet sales available on a new EU customs data platform to be implemented.

Brunner wants to pick up the pace
This is not fast enough for Brunner. "We are committed to prioritizing the regulations relating to e-commerce and not waiting until the planned implementation of the EU customs data platform in 2028," said the Finance Minister in a press release. "This is about customs' very own task. Namely the protection of the European single market and fair trade and a level playing field for everyone."