Shein adds €500M for Poland hub as EU parcel duty halves customs declarations
China-based e-commerce giant SHEIN announced on November 4 that it will invest an additional €500 million in 2026 to expand its logistics hub near Wroclaw in southwestern Poland. The EU introduced a flat duty on low-value parcels from outside the bloc in July, and in Poland customs declarations for cross-border e-commerce imports of €150 or less fell from about 4.24 million in June to about 2.11 million in July. According to JETRO, Chinese e-commerce firms are building up logistics and sales operations inside the EU.
Key points
- SHEIN's extra €500M brings its cumulative Polish investment to a projected €1 billion; it has 20 warehouses (about 1 million sq m) and plans to grow logistics jobs from 8,000 to over 10,000 by end-2026
- From July 1 the EU applies a flat €3 duty per tariff item on parcels of €150 or less, and from November 1 a €2 handling fee per item on customs declarations
- Polish customs declarations for cross-border e-commerce imports of €150 or less fell from about 4.24M in June to about 2.11M in July, down 50.1% month on month
Background
The EU has been raising the burden on low-value parcels from outside the bloc, and this duty and fee follow that direction. As costs rise, Chinese e-commerce firms are responding by setting up operations inside the EU.
According to JETRO, Temu has run a 'Local-to-Local' model since around late 2024 in which Polish sellers sell through its platform, and Poczta Polska said in June 2025 that Temu aims to supply and ship 80% of its European sales from local warehouses.
What it means for shops
Japanese cross-border sellers who ship small parcels directly to the EU need to decide how to reflect the added duty and fees in prices and delivery times. If more Chinese platforms hold stock inside the EU, competition on price and delivery speed could intensify.
What shops should do
- When shipping parcels to the EU, check whether the per-item flat duty and handling fee fall on the buyer or on you, and reflect this in pricing
🔒 3 more action items for subscribers
Summaries are written by Seiichi Studio based on the original releases. Always check the source for the exact details.