Slovak Shoppers Adapt to New EU Tariffs on Chinese Online Retailers

Slovak consumers are changing their shopping habits on Chinese e-commerce platforms such as Temu, Shein, and AliExpress following new European Union customs rules that took effect July 1, rather than abandoning the platforms altogether. Under the new EU regulations, a flat-rate tariff now applies to packages imported from China, ending a previous exemption that allowed low-value goods to enter the bloc duty-free. The change has made the purchase of cheap individual items — often just a few cents or euros — significantly less attractive, as customs charges can now exceed the value of the goods themselves. Rather than stop shopping on these platforms, Slovak users are sharing advice on social media on how to minimize the impact of the new tariffs, for example by ordering multiple units of the same product in a single purchase to spread the cost of the duty across more items. The shift reflects a broader adjustment across the European Union, where regulators have faced growing pressure to create a level playing field between domestic retailers — who must comply with EU product safety and tax standards — and Chinese online marketplaces that previously benefited from the low-value import exemption.