Cyprus shoppers face higher charges on China-linked online orders

Consumers in Cyprus ordering goods from China through platforms such as Temu, Shein and AliExpress will face an additional €2 charge from November 1, according to a report by Cyprus Mail.

The new fee will be added to an existing €3 levy, bringing the total charge to €5. The Cyprus customs department said the €2 charge will apply to each product category within a single order.

Responsibility for collecting the fee will rest with the platform, seller, carrier or representative that submits the customs declaration, the customs department said.

The charge is intended to cover customs-related work, including data processing, risk assessment, monitoring and inspections of goods sent directly to consumers.

The change follows a European Commission decision to end the previous duty exemption for low-value parcels. It applies across Cyprus and the wider European Union, according to the report.

Figures from the French finance ministry cited by Cyprus Mail indicated that a €3 duty introduced on July 1 was followed by a reported reduction of up to 40% in parcel orders. The average declared shipment value reportedly rose from €8.82 to €11.47.

Platforms based in China may reduce the effect of the charges by fulfilling orders from warehouses inside the European Union.

The European Commission has also raised safety concerns. More than 60% of low-value products inspected in a 2025 EU survey reportedly failed to meet European requirements or safety standards, according to the report.