Why New EU Customs Rules Are Unlikely to Slow Down Temu & Co.

Leipzig/Halle Expects Only a Brief Dip

In the short term, the airport anticipates a decline in cargo volume in the low to mid double-digit percentage range. In the medium term, however, supply chains are likely to adapt, and goods will increasingly be imported into the European Union in consolidated shipments before being forwarded to customers from there.

According to the DHL Group’s assessment, only a small portion of orders from platforms such as Temu or Shein are likely to pass through the express hub in Leipzig. Instead, many goods reach Europe by sea or via warehouses in Poland and the Czech Republic. The DHL hub, on the other hand, is primarily designed for time-sensitive express shipments.

Retailers Call for Further Steps

The German Retail Association welcomed the new customs fee as “a sensible signal for greater equality of opportunity in European trade.” However, it alone will not prevent unsafe products, misdeclared goods, or violations of European consumer, environmental, and product safety standards from continuing to enter the single market. “The customs fee merely compensates for a financial competitive disadvantage; it cannot replace effective market surveillance,” said Stephan Tromp, deputy chief executive of the HDE. It remains to be seen to what extent the new rules will influence consumer ordering behavior.

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