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A federation of European textile associations called for a €10 ($11.60) import fee on fashion items on Tuesday, in the latest effort to stem a flood of ultra-cheap competition mainly from China.
The appeal by Euratex came after the European Union imposed a €3 duty in July on cheap parcels entering the bloc, citing the financial burden placed on customs agencies.
It also followed a lackluster stock market debut for Chinese ultrafast-fashion giant Shein, whose fortunes have been hit by the new EU charge as well as a similar clampdown in the United States, two key markets.
Separately, France began imposing a levy Tuesday on ultrafast-fashion items that will eventually reach almost €20 per garment.
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Euratex President Mario Jorge Machado welcomed the EU fee at an industry conference in Paris but said, “we cannot stop there.”
The group said in a statement that a €10 “handling fee” should provide customs authorities with “resources to identify unsafe and non-compliant goods.”
It also warned against allowing loopholes in the tax, including bulk imports or European warehouses, saying such measures were needed to ensure “a level playing field” for the European industry.
The sector includes around 200,000 companies employing 1.3 million people, according to Euratex.
China has warned of potential retaliation over the fees.
Shein’s European customer base rose to 156 million average monthly users by the end of 2025, making it one of the continent’s biggest e-commerce platforms.
It ranks alongside AliExpress and U.S. e-commerce giant Amazon, which had 193 million and around 180 million users, respectively.
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