UK Retailers Urge Faster Crackdown on Cheap Parcels From China

As Chinese exports flood the UK with cheap parcels, retailers call for faster reform to protect domestic competition.

An employee transports parcels from conveyor belt to robot at the warehouse of a logistics base of JingDong Group in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, on Nov. 5, 2019. Wang He/Getty Images

UK retailers are urging the government to fast-track the removal of a low-value import duty exemption, saying that it gives Chinese online platforms an unfair edge over domestic businesses.

The government announced in its Autumn Budget in November 2025 that it would end the £135 ($180) de minimis customs duty relief by March 2029 at the latest.