Brno – The Czech Footwear and Leather Association (ČOKA) has deemed the EU’s proposed measures against inexpensive imports from Asian online platforms inadequate. ČOKA has aligned with the European Confederation of the Footwear Industry (CEC) to urge two European commissioners to take action to improve the business climate. This statement was made by ČOKA president Robert Konorza at the Styl and Kabo fair. The letter’s authors argue that online marketplaces such as Temu and Shein disrupt fair competition and threaten both European manufacturers and consumers.
The European Union has suggested implementing a handling fee of two euros (50 CZK) for small shipments valued up to 150 euros (3700 CZK). However, Konorza expressed that without additional enforcement mechanisms, this proposal will serve more as a symbolic gesture than a genuine solution to combat unfair imports. The CEC asserts that platforms like Shein and Temu exploit the EU’s insufficient customs and regulatory systems, enabling price dumping. Furthermore, many packages are shipped from European warehouses, incurring only a minimal fee of half a euro (approximately 12.50 CZK).
The CEC calls for the European Commission to implement comprehensive customs controls for all shipments, not just those intended for final consumers. Additionally, they seek to enhance market oversight, improve inspection quality, enforce regulations against platforms that consistently breach rules, and establish systems to monitor risky imports. They advocate for alternative methods to expedite interventions without waiting for the customs code reform scheduled for 2026 to 2027.
This appeal is backed by data from recent years. In 2023, the EU seized 152 million counterfeit items, marking a 77 percent increase from the previous year, with a total worth of 3.4 billion euros (83.6 billion CZK). “The drastic rise in counterfeit footwear is particularly concerning,” remarked Konorza. Approximately 80 percent of the footwear in the EU is imported, and a significant fraction fails to meet European health, safety, and environmental standards, according to critics. “This jeopardizes consumer health and safety and severely disadvantages honest European manufacturers who adhere to these standards,” Konorza added.
He also warned that Europe could become a warehouse for goods from these platforms as they redirect shipments here due to heightened customs scrutiny in the USA. “The objective is to safeguard not only European businesses but also consumer health and the integrity of the internal market,” Konorza concluded. (August 22)
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