Sales of Temu, Shein and AliExpress in Germany collapsed after the introduction of tariffs
Sales of the Asian online platforms Temu, Shein and AliExpress in Germany significantly decreased after the introduction of new EU customs rules. In the third quarter of 2026, their combined revenue fell by 35.5% compared to the same period last year – to 566 million euros.
This is evidenced by data from the Federal Association of E-Commerce and Distance Selling of Germany (BEVH), published on October 8.
The share of the three largest Asian platforms in the German e-commerce market decreased to 3.1% compared to 5.3% in the second quarter. Thus, after a long period of active expansion, Temu, Shein and AliExpress have begun to lose ground.
New tariffs made cheap parcels more expensive
The BEVH links the decline in sales primarily to the new EU customs rules that came into force in July 2026.
The European Union abolished the duty-free threshold of 150 euros for goods coming from outside the bloc. Now such shipments are subject to customs taxation regardless of their value.
For parcels worth up to 150 euros, a fixed duty of 3 euros per each product category determined by the customs classification was introduced. From November, a handling fee of 2 euros per shipment will be added.
BEVH Chief Executive Officer Alien Mulyk noted that the additional charges particularly affect cheap goods from Asia, which are sold with a small trade margin.
At the same time, the association believes that the tariffs alone are not enough to ensure a level playing field. In BEVH's opinion, the EU also needs to strengthen control over the compliance of imported goods with European requirements.
German sellers have not yet taken advantage of the situation
Despite the loss of ground by Asian competitors, local online shops have not gained noticeable advantages.
According to BEVH, the total volume of online goods trade in Germany increased by only 2.9% year-on-year in the third quarter – to 18.5 billion euros. In the second quarter, growth was 5.1%.
The association attributes the market slowdown to worsening consumer sentiment, rising energy prices and lower expectations of future incomes among the population.
At the same time, certain product categories continue to show growth. Sales of medicines via the internet increased by 15.4%, cosmetic and household goods – by 14.3%, food products – by 9.1%.
В свою чергу, online sales of electronics and telecommunications equipment decreased by 4.6%, and furniture, lamps and decorative items – by 5.2%.
Back in July, BEVH reported record expansion of Asian platforms in Germany. At that time, their sales were growing much faster than the market as a whole, and the association assumed that the new tariff would have a limited impact on cheap imports.
However, the third quarter results showed a change in trend: after the new rules came into force, sales of Temu, Shein and AliExpress significantly decreased. At the same time, the overall weakening of consumer demand also affected the dynamics.
Based on materials from: BEVH
