Trade
France Pushes to Accelerate Higher Duties on Chinese Parcels
Parcels awaiting delivery in the Paris suburb of Le Thillay, France.
Photographer: Gregoire Campione/AFP/Getty ImagesFrance is urging the European Union to increase customs duties on small packages two years earlier than planned, expanding its campaign against Chinese retailers as it tangles with e-commerce giant Shein.
“I really hope that tomorrow we can make progress on this subject,” French Finance Minister Roland Lescure said Wednesday before a meeting with his EU peers, saying he wanted the increase to go into effect “as soon as possible in 2026, I hope even at the start of 2026.”