France drops national small-parcel tax after revenue falls short
France has abolished its national tax on low-value parcels from non-EU countries after the measure generated significantly less revenue than expected. The tax, introduced in March, charged €2 on shipments valued below €150 but raised only around €2.3 million, far below the government's annual target of €400 million.
Asian e-commerce platforms avoided the levy
According to the report, major Asian e-commerce platforms avoided the levy by routing shipments through other EU member states before transporting them to France by road. As a result, the number of direct deliveries to France declined sharply while imports continued to reach consumers.
Replacing the national measure
The French government has now replaced the national measure with the new EU-wide customs charge of €3 on low-value parcels from non-EU countries, which came into effect on 1 July. Officials said that, as part of the EU single market, there was no longer any justification for maintaining a separate national tax alongside the new European system.
France maintains that its initiative helped accelerate the introduction of a coordinated EU approach. Both the former national tax and the new EU measure aim to reduce the volume of low-cost imports, improve compliance with European standards, and promote fair competition.