France suspends 2-euro charge on low-value packages as EU fee kicks in

France is scrapping a two-euro charge on low-value e-commerce packages arriving from outside the European Union from July 1, when a heftier pan-European Union fee kicks in, Serge Papin, the minister for small businesses said on Tuesday.

The fee will increase to 5 euros from November, Papin said, as the EU intends to add an additional 2-euro administration fee to these packages.

"In November all of Europe will be applying the so-called 2 euros administration fee, so it’ll be 5 euros starting in November. So why are we suspending (our fee)? To better monitor the situation and the products coming into France," Papin added.

France's Senate passed a revised version of a bill on Monday aimed at curbing online fast-fashion retailers such as Shein, Temu, which is owned by PDD Holdings NASDAQ:PDD, and AliExpress NYSE:BABA, after more than two years of debate and discussion between the upper and lower houses of parliament as lawmakers sought to create a text that complies with European Union law.