Industry says €3 EU fee won’t halt cheap imports
César Araújo, president of the National Association of Clothing, Fashion and Textile Industries (Anivec), criticised the EU’s planned €3 fee on small imports as insufficient and called it a 'smokescreen' that won’t stop Chinese e‑commerce evading taxes. Araújo links the problem to job losses in domestic manufacturing and says the fee, effective from July for orders over €150, will not address structural evasion. Textile businesses and retail employers should follow EU rules but also press for stronger measures if they rely on local supply chains.
Anivec is the National Association of Clothing, Fashion and Textile Industries, a trade group representing Portuguese clothing, fashion and textile companies. Its leaders are warning that the EU’s new €3 fee on extra-EU orders over €150, due to take effect in July, may not be enough to protect local manufacturers, a point that matters for producers, retailers and consumers because it can affect prices and competition.
