Following the agreement to introduce a €3 flat fee on small parcels imported into the EU, several policymakers are already questioning whether the measure will be sufficient to curb the surge of ultra-cheap goods entering the European market.

The EU is preparing a historic shift by introducing mandatory producer responsibility for textiles, a reform intended to reshape how textile waste is financed and managed across Europe. The goal is clear, brands placing textiles on the European market must also pay for the cost of managing them as waste. But even before the system comes into force, a structural risk has emerged. The explosive volume of ultra-cheap garments shipped into Europe by platforms such as Shein threat

On 12 December, EU member states agreed to introduce a flat €3 fee per small parcel imported from outside the EU, primarily affecting low-cost platforms such as Shein and Temu.

Two closely linked EU decisions are set to reshape the competitive landscape for Europe’s textile and apparel sector. Together, they signal a more assertive approach to market supervision at a time when circularity ambitions risk being undermined by fast-growing ultra-fast-fashion platforms.

On one hand, EU is taking aim at ultra‑fast‑fashion imports from China, while on the other it is pressing ahead with policies that could significantly restrict exports of second‑hand clothing to African countries. The combined effect threatens to accelerate the dominance of Chinese ultra‑fast‑fashion clothing and raises concerns over unintended environmental and social consequences.

Explore how China’s ultra fast fashion boom may be threatening second-hand clothing markets in Africa, its impact on textile waste & local economies