France's New Fast-Fashion Fee Takes Effect, Adding Up to €12 a Garment for Shein and Temu Orders
A per-item environmental levy aimed at Shein, Temu and AliExpress took effect in France on September 1, stacking on an EU-wide €3 customs charge already in place since July.
Meridians Life Desk
Published 2 September 2026 · Updated 2 September 2026 · 4 min read
FashionThe short answer
- France's "ultra-fast-fashion" fee took effect September 1, 2026, under a decree published August 28.
- For 2026–2027, the fee ranges from €0.50 on underwear to €12 on jackets and coats, capped at 50% of a product's pre-tax price.
- It targets sellers meeting two criteria — wide product range and poor repairability — which in practice hits Shein, Temu and AliExpress while H&M, Zara and Kiabi are exempt.
- It layers on top of a separate EU-wide €3 flat customs duty on sub-€150 parcels from outside the EU, in force since July 1, 2026.
A new French fee targeting ultra-fast-fashion retailers took effect September 1, 2026, adding up to €12 to the cost of a single garment bought from Shein, Temu or AliExpress.
What changed, and when
The fee, known as a malus, comes from a law French lawmakers passed in June 2026. An implementing decree, published August 28, 2026, put Article 5 of that law into force on September 1.
How much, and on what
- For 2026–2027, fees range from €0.50 on underwear and boxer shorts to €12 on jackets and coats.
- Reported intermediate tiers for 2026 include €2.00 for T-shirts and €9.00 for jeans.
- By 2030, the range rises to €2.00–€19.50 per item.
- The fee is capped at 50% of the item's pre-tax price.
Who actually pays it
The malus applies only to sellers that meet two cumulative criteria: a repairability index comparing repair cost to sale price and whether the brand offers repair services, and the breadth of its product catalog. In practice, that construction targets Shein, Temu and AliExpress, while traditional retailers such as H&M, Zara and Kiabi are exempt. The fee is collected by Refashion, France's extended-producer-responsibility organizer for end-of-life textiles, rather than by customs authorities.
“The harmful effects of ultra-fast fashion on our environment and our economy are well known and documented.”
Reaction
Marie Castagné of the Réseau national des ressourceries et recycleries, a recycling-sector group, said the organization "regrets this choice" and wants the fee expanded to all fast-fashion brands, not only the ultra-fast-fashion segment. Separately, China has called the measure discriminatory and warned of possible retaliation.
The EU-wide backdrop
Since July 1, 2026, all EU member states have also applied a temporary €3 flat customs duty on parcels valued up to €150 shipped directly to consumers from outside the EU, in force until July 1, 2028, when the €150 exemption threshold itself is due to be scrapped entirely.
Sources
Every factual claim above is traceable to these documents. Check them — that is why they are here.
- Shein and Temu items could face €20 levy in France's crackdown on ultra-fast fashionEuronews
- Guidance and legal text on temporary flat fee on low-value imports, which will apply until 1 July 2028European Commission, Taxation and Customs Union
- EU applies €3 customs duty per item on low-value e-commerce consignmentsEuropean Commission, Access2Markets
About this byline
Meridians Life Desk is an editorial desk at Meridians, not an individual. A desk byline means the article was produced and fact-checked to that desk's published standards. Read our editorial standards and corrections policy.
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