The European Union has called for a bloc-wide handling fee on small packages ordered online from platforms such as Shein, Temu and Alibaba to be imposed in early 2026, over two years earlier than scheduled, in a bid to crack down on billions of cheap Chinese imports each year, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday, citing a letter from trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic to EU finance ministers.

The European Commission urged EU finance ministers meeting on Thursday to agree the faster implementation to protect domestic retailers from unfair competition, the report said.