The government proposes, on Tuesday, to charge “a few euros” to platforms by parcels from China. “A relatively simple solution (…) faced with a worrying problem”, according to economist Sébastien Jean.
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“It is a completely suitable solution and that must be applied as quickly as possible”Salt, Tuesday April 29 on Franceinfo, Sébastien Jean, professor of economics at the National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts (CNAM) and associate director at the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI) while the government proposes to pay by platforms “Management costs” of “A few euros” For small packages from China. “For once, we have a solution that is ultimately relatively simple to implement in the face of a problem that is really worrying. You have to do it and you have to do it quickly”explains the economist.
From Friday, the small packages arriving in the United States will be three times more taxed. So Europe fears to be overwhelmed by Asian products notably coming from Chinese online commercial platforms. The Minister of the Economy, Éric Lombard, and the Minister of Public Accounts, Amélie de Montchalin, proposed on Tuesday solutions at European level to manage parcel shipments, in particular those from Shein or Temu platforms.
According to Sébastien Jean, it’s an influx “Difficult to counter” and above all “An irresponsible model in the sense that it does not pay its own harmful effects and it is grafted as a parasite of the existing system”. Among its shipments, 800 million packages worth less than 150 euros are exempt today from customs duties.“It is worrying because these are flows that massively escape control capacities and both from our capacities of regulation and customs taxation. It is very worrying”said Sébastien Jean. France offers to blow up this lock of 150 euros in 2028.
“There are so many of them that we are physically unable to control them. We must regain hands very quickly and see that we are faced with a kind of exhaust.”
Sébastien Jean, professor of economics at CNAMin franceinfo
Sébastien Jean also judges the consequences for the environment “Disastrous” And worries about small shops: “It seems to me that the most direct concern today, it must be for retail, because it is he who is the most potentially impacted.” The economist underlines “The development of counterfeiting which is enormously facilitated by this explosion of small packages very difficult to control”.
