Italy Takes Aim at Ultra-Fast Fashion With New Levy

MILAN – Italy has made its first official step to curb the impact of ultra-fast fashion, targeting platforms such as Shein and Temu.

On Tuesday, the Senate passed the “Legge di Bilancio 2026,” or “Budget Act 2026,” which introduces a measure that imposes a levy of 2 euros on all parcels valued at under 150 euros coming into Italy from extra-European Union countries. Until before the new bill, low-value goods were duty free.

The bill still needs to be approved by the Italian Parliament’s Lower House. Per Italian law, the Lower House does not have any capacity to change the bill, which must be passed by the end of the year.

The move is seen answering the ongoing requests of fashion industry associations including Confindustria Moda, Confindustria Accessori Moda and Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana, among others, to take aim at the unregulated influx of low-cost, low-quality goods into the country.

Camera della Moda estimated that about 1 million parcels from extra-EU countries circulated in Italy last year. According to the most recent figures provided by the fashion association, imports of fashion goods from China jumped 11.8 percent in the eight months to Aug. 31, amounting to 4.5 billion euros.

The Italian bill anticipates the EU’s decision to move up its timeline to close the loophole that has fueled the rapid rise of ultra-fast fashion companies in recent years.

As reported, last November European finance ministers from the 27-country bloc approved a similar agreement to abolish the exemption on packages valued at less than 150 euros, to be implemented as early as the first quarter of 2026 — two years ahead of schedule.

The new rules will also see parcels subject to additional handling and import charges, which is the formal attribution provided in the Italian bill for the new levy.

Both moves echo the U.S. decision to roll back its own de minimis allowance, aimed at curbing the flow of ultra-cheap Chinese imports, which went into effect in May.

Meanwhile, France has been particularly vocal in its fight against platforms like Shein and Temu, lobbying the EU to move toward stricter regulation.

As reported, last week Shein dodged a temporary ban in France after a Paris judicial court deemed the government’s request “disproportionate” following the platform’s voluntary removal of illicit products.

The government had sought to block the website due to illegal items listed on its marketplace, following intense scrutiny after opening its first physical store in Paris in November.

In November, a dozen French retail federations, joined by leading domestic brands, initiated legal action against Shein’s Ireland-based European subsidiary, Infinite Styles Service Co. Ltd., citing unfair competition and breaches of European product safety standards.

At a broader European level, France has called for sanctions through the European Commission, which has requested information from Shein but has yet to open a formal investigation.