{"id":19631,"date":"2026-03-02T16:10:13","date_gmt":"2026-03-02T15:10:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/roger-ari.com\/?p=19631"},"modified":"2026-03-04T12:34:56","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T11:34:56","slug":"tax-on-small-parcels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/roger-ari.com\/en\/tax-on-small-parcels\/","title":{"rendered":"Small parcel tax - Shein and Temu: what it will really cost your budget"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Since 1 March 2026, a new tax has applied to your Shein, Temu and AliExpress orders. In practical terms, what does this mean for your wallet? We'll explain everything.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/roger-ari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/photo-de-couverture-pour-un-article-de-blog-taxe-s.webp\" alt=\"tax on small parcels\" class=\"wp-image-19632\" srcset=\"https:\/\/roger-ari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/photo-de-couverture-pour-un-article-de-blog-taxe-s.webp 1440w, https:\/\/roger-ari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/photo-de-couverture-pour-un-article-de-blog-taxe-s-768x432.webp 768w, https:\/\/roger-ari.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/photo-de-couverture-pour-un-article-de-blog-taxe-s-18x10.webp 18w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We've been talking about it for months. Now it's official: the&nbsp;<strong>tax on small parcels<\/strong>&nbsp;(TPC) came into force on Sunday 1 March 2026. The measure directly targets the giants of ultra fast-fashion: Shein, Temu, AliExpress - whose imports into France have literally exploded in recent years. From&nbsp;<strong>175 million items imported by 2022<\/strong>, the country went to&nbsp;<strong>more than 826 million by 2025<\/strong>. That's almost one article per inhabitant... per week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But in practical terms, what will this change for you? The reality is more complex - and more costly - than many people anticipate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">It's not \u20ac2 per parcel. It's \u20ac2 per&nbsp;<em>category<\/em>&nbsp;of products<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is where many will be surprised. Small parcel tax doesn't work&nbsp;<strong>by parcel or physical item<\/strong>, but by&nbsp;<strong>customs category<\/strong>&nbsp;- a 6-digit code called the HS6 code.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here's how it works in practice:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>You order\u00a0<strong>5 cotton T-shirts<\/strong>\u00a0: \u2192\u00a0<strong>2 \u20ac tax<\/strong>\u00a0(same category)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You order\u00a0<strong>1 T-shirt + 1 pair of headphones + 1 piece of jewellery<\/strong>\u00a0: \u2192\u00a0<strong>6 \u20ac tax<\/strong>\u00a0(3 separate categories)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You order\u00a0<strong>3 t-shirts and 2 joggers<\/strong>\u00a0: \u2192 potentially\u00a0<strong>4 \u20ac<\/strong>\u00a0if cotton and polyester are classified differently<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A simple rule:&nbsp;<strong>the more varied your basket, the higher the tax on small parcels<\/strong>. And those who place \u00abcatch-all\u00bb orders for 15 or 20 different items are in for a rude awakening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who pays, you or the platform?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On paper, it's\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/fr.shein.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Shein<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/aclk?sa=L&amp;ai=DChsSEwi6ks2Gk4aTAxUKkFAGHVuQJccYACICCAEQABoCZGc&amp;co=1&amp;ase=2&amp;gclid=CjwKCAiAzZ_NBhAEEiwAMtqKy7AVCscwA9azGmxM_Ho_-DGuqT2zANLTuVW5G6eXPavUXa_jGq1B3RoCFAEQAvD_BwE&amp;cid=CAASugHkaHF2Y3dMdlV1CfG4GM1UJeWNkGnmxmrb5dJIUrtgCZs9lFCVP9-vFDxbwTL1vIcFwMoi3xl4qQpgCSvO67ZdZtzZoQYFjL2UXluMDm4-te72WArMnKuPH1xhUTVbOgRIXecm7okfRbDlzQ8oOmMHt239BIC1WX6btc5lAWpLAUKX8nBc-5ju361BkqAznGRDc6yjgpdt8t0Ecd6XwklI8ZO__HHuXFg8prQQcRk9VGfBWOUp-YS44uA&amp;cce=2&amp;category=acrcp_v1_37&amp;sig=AOD64_0MT8nZ0S7bohRq_9xx5nafsG2pKg&amp;q&amp;nis=4&amp;adurl&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiuwsWGk4aTAxW5VkEAHSvcAPwQ0Qx6BAgWEAE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Temu<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/aclk?sa=L&amp;ai=DChsSEwiR9rKOk4aTAxWAk1AGHUCTAL0YACICCAEQABoCZGc&amp;ae=2&amp;co=1&amp;ase=2&amp;gclid=CjwKCAiAzZ_NBhAEEiwAMtqKy0dTdNdbpN5sh2XbjIhDBIk6JRmTVBG3vPilgn4H3ygnJNG-KyVF2RoC-JAQAvD_BwE&amp;cid=CAASugHkaAlU50T2hCzPkNd18ZMD-H8vT6_RCwsk1WK-9afdCGbUlTFs19bMXSe8Yk_YXtncowXNlQKm1jwAeNAlpQRypsqH1WDg2htRYrBHjkj1RX48D35fZWk9feRxXW5TL9UhieW1eANMhg9IQy8w78pK8x2w9bEEj1OlnIGnaGYPry3xi3v-V4CMLQFMhy_7wEnr4DhqkDOvWJGPlBEIPEFqzpMLkR-51GGLkKhe7CWXDJPWzT64DkpmxCE&amp;cce=2&amp;category=acrcp_v1_71&amp;sig=AOD64_2m1LnzL6HD_3DS5DhzNYWENmoytw&amp;q&amp;nis=4&amp;adurl&amp;ved=2ahUKEwj3va2Ok4aTAxXpd0EAHTeyExYQ0Qx6BAgWEAE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AliExpress<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0who are liable for the tax - as with import VAT. But in practice, don't kid yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These platforms operate on tiny unit margins. They will not be able to absorb the extra cost. Expect the tax to be passed on&nbsp;<strong>in advertised prices<\/strong>, in the&nbsp;<strong>delivery charges<\/strong>, or in the form of&nbsp;<strong>\u00abcustoms processing fees\u00bb<\/strong>&nbsp;added to basket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As a result, a T-shirt selling for \u20ac5 on Shein could quickly exceed \u20ac10 once the tax has been added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">And there's more to come: July 2026 is just around the corner.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The \u20ac2 French tax is just the first step. From&nbsp;<strong>1st July 2026<\/strong>, a European customs duty of&nbsp;<strong>Additional \u20ac3<\/strong>&nbsp;per category will be added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Total :&nbsp;<strong>5 per category<\/strong>&nbsp;from the summer onwards. For a mixed basket (clothes + accessories + gadgets), you can easily reach&nbsp;<strong>10 to \u20ac15 tax<\/strong>&nbsp;on an order worth just \u20ac20.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The calculation quickly becomes unfavourable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The big risk: bypassing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A number of experts and A\u00e9roports de Paris (ADP) have pointed to a major risk: platforms could simply&nbsp;<strong>redirect their logistics flows<\/strong>&nbsp;to European hubs that are not subject to the French tax - such as Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport.&nbsp;<strong>Li\u00e8ge, Belgium<\/strong>&nbsp;- then transport the parcels by lorry. This scenario would deprive the measure of some of its effectiveness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/fr.shein.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Shein<\/a> himself made no secret of this possibility, pointing out that goods legally imported into an EU Member State can circulate freely throughout the Union.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What are the government's objectives?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The government puts forward two main justifications:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Combating unfair competition<\/strong>\u00a0Asian platforms vis-\u00e0-vis European businesses<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Financing customs<\/strong>\u00a0The tax on small parcels is expected to raise around\u00a0<strong>500 million euros per year<\/strong>, used to reinforce customs controls, overwhelmed by the influx of parcels<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A third, more discreet objective is also mentioned: reducing the carbon footprint of the millions of daily cargo flights crossing Asia and Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What can be done?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A few simple reflexes to limit the damage:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Group your purchases by category<\/strong>\u00a0Ordering 5 t-shirts of the same type costs just \u20ac2 tax<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Compare with European alternatives<\/strong>\u00a0the final price difference is often less spectacular than before<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Wait for bundled promotions<\/strong>\u00a0one well-organised order is better than 3 small, varied orders<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Keep an eye on treatment costs<\/strong>\u00a0that will be appearing in your shopping baskets over the next few weeks<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Structural change, not just another small parcel tax<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This measure marks a real turning point. France is the first major European economy to act so directly on this flow. Italy led the way in January. A harmonised European directive is due to take over at the end of 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We can debate the real effectiveness of this measure. But one thing is certain:&nbsp;<strong>the era of \u20ac3 t-shirts delivered tax-free is well and truly over<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Sources: Moneyvox, Franceinfo, Si\u00e8cle Digital, Bourseinsider, Reporterre - March 2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Category: <a href=\"https:\/\/roger-ari.com\/en\/category\/economy\/\">Economy<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Depuis le 1er mars 2026, une nouvelle taxe s&rsquo;applique sur vos commandes Shein, Temu et AliExpress. Concr\u00e8tement, qu&rsquo;est-ce que \u00e7a change pour votre porte-monnaie ? On vous explique tout. On en parlait depuis des mois. C\u2019est maintenant officiel : la&nbsp;taxe sur les petits colis&nbsp;(TPC) est entr\u00e9e en vigueur le dimanche 1er mars 2026. Une mesure [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":19632,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[80,125],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19631","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-actualites","category-economie"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/roger-ari.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19631","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/roger-ari.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/roger-ari.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/roger-ari.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/30"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/roger-ari.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19631"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/roger-ari.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19631\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/roger-ari.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19632"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/roger-ari.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19631"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/roger-ari.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19631"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/roger-ari.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19631"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}