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