The Growing Challenge of E-Commerce Parcels in Belgium
Every day, more than 4 million small parcels from China arrive at the freight airport in Liege, Belgium. This staggering volume has placed immense pressure on the local customs inspection team, which consists of only 80 members. The situation has become increasingly complex, as the airport, located near the Netherlands, Germany, and France, was originally designed to support e-commerce giants like Amazon, Shein, Temu, and Alibaba.
The problem has been exacerbated by the shift in trade policies following the return of US President Donald Trump to the White House. An executive order signed in February 2023 removed the “de minimis” exemption, which previously allowed Chinese packages valued under $800 to enter the United States duty-free. This change led to a surge in parcels being redirected to European ports, including Liege, as businesses sought to avoid additional costs.
In response, Italy and France have also introduced handling fees for small parcels this year. As a result, even more packages are now being funneled through the Belgian airport, further straining its capacity. To address this growing issue, the EU has proposed implementing a bloc-wide Euro2 (US$2.36) handling fee and a Euro3 flat-rate fee per small parcel valued below Euro150 later this year. However, Beijing has criticized these measures as unfair.
Despite the tensions surrounding these fees, Belgium’s top customs official, Kristian Vanderwaeren, argues that the core issue lies not with the number of parcels but with their quality. He emphasized that many products arriving in Europe do not meet EU standards, and their declared values are often inaccurate.
“The problem for me, as a customs officer, is not so much the quantity,” Vanderwaeren said. “The problem is that we’re being flooded with Chinese products that … do not meet European standards, whose value is not properly declared.”
According to Vanderwaeren, 30% of the small parcels inspected are in violation of EU standards, with certain goods, such as cosmetic products, facing a 100% infringement rate. The European Union has some of the strictest regulations in the world for cosmetic products, banning or restricting over 2,500 substances compared to just 11 in the United States.
Regulatory Challenges and Legal Implications
The compliance failures of Chinese e-commerce companies have long been a concern within the Chinese business community in Belgium. Many firms that expanded into Europe simply transplanted their domestic practices without realizing the stricter regulatory environment in the EU. This has led to widespread issues, including under-declaring values or misclassifying luxury items as common goods.
Xiufang Tu, partner and head of the China desk at the Brussels-based Daldewolf law firm, noted that some Chinese electric scooter manufacturers have shipped and sold products in Europe without any EU certification. These regulatory breaches can lead to criminal investigations, a reality that many Chinese companies underestimated.
“Belgian customs are at their wits’ end – they are now issuing fines very swiftly and without hesitation,” Tu said.
The challenges extend beyond just compliance. In its 2025 annual report, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office highlighted a fraudulent chain controlled by Chinese criminal networks that uses e-commerce platforms to distribute goods brought in from China. This underscores the need for stronger collaboration between China and Europe to ensure that products meet European standards before reaching the continent.
Looking Ahead: Collaboration and Solutions
Vanderwaeren has taken steps to address the issue by securing funding to hire 200 more agents, although the process will take time. He is also adopting a pragmatic approach, planning a visit to China at the end of May to hold talks with his Chinese counterparts and visit e-commerce facilities in Beijing and Shenzhen.
As the e-commerce landscape continues to evolve, the need for improved digital infrastructure to handle the surging number of small-package clearances becomes increasingly urgent. According to Jiang Xiaojuan, a former deputy secretary general for China’s State Council, the global customs systems often lack the advanced technology needed to manage this growing demand.
