The European Union has announced it will consider tightening regulations on low-value items imported via e-commerce retailers based in China and elsewhere.

The European Commission made the announcement on Wednesday. It cited the need to ensure product safety and fair competition for low-value goods.

The EU has a duty-free system for parcels worth less than 150 euros, or about 156 dollars.

The Commission says 4.6 billion of such shipments were imported into the EU in 2024. It says 91 percent of them came from China, including through e-commerce platforms such as Temu and Shein.

The planned measures include removing the duty exemption allowed for parcels under 150 euros, and requiring operators to provide customs authorities with data on goods before they arrive in the EU.

EU Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen told reporters that there has been a surge in low-value products sold by non-EU traders via online marketplaces. She added that many of these products have been found to be “unsafe, counterfeited or even dangerous.”

The US Postal Service said on Tuesday that it would temporarily suspend accepting parcels from Hong Kong and China. But hours later it reversed the decision.