Where EU sellers face cheap non-EU rivals: fashion and electronics

Fashion accounts for 46.2% of online spending at non-EU retailers by EU shoppers, with electronics second, according to ECDB figures reported on 9 November 2026¹. For an EU seller choosing what to list or source, the numbers point to a competitor set led by a few low-price platforms, and to categories that travel well by post. Furniture, grocery and electronics carry extra cost or compliance risk², so they need separate scoring. Since 1 July 2026, a €3 customs duty per item has applied to low-value imports, and the €2 Union handling fee began on 1 November 2026⁴.

What the ECDB figures show about the category mix

ECDB is an e-commerce data provider that publishes monthly market intelligence based on transaction data². Its 3 November 2026 analysis says fashion accounts for 46.2% of the revenue EU-27 shoppers spend at retailers in non-EU countries, while across all EU online spending the category holds 18.7%². ECDB says fashion's weight in cross-border purchases is roughly two and a half times its weight in the overall market².

Fashion ranks third in total EU online consumer spending, behind hobby and leisure at 21.8% and electronics at 21.6%¹. In cross-border spending, electronics is second, after fashion¹.

EU consumers spent €55.1 billion on physical goods at non-EU retailers last year, equal to 13.1% of their total online spending¹. Temu, AliExpress and Shein accounted for more than 90% of EU online spending at non-EU retailers last year¹. ECDB's more precise figure is that 90.2% of the €55.1 billion that left the EU in e-commerce in 2025 went to Temu, Shein, AliExpress and similar retailers³.

ECDB explains the pattern by product type: "Light, cheap and durable goods cross borders best"¹. For European fashion retailers in particular, ECDB says competition is "sitting as much in Shenzhen as on the local high street"².

Why fashion and electronics are the hardest categories to enter on price

ECDB says "European fashion retailers carry the heaviest load"². It describes clothing as light, compact and unbreakable, with low shipping costs per item and parcels that move easily through postal and courier networks².

Electronics is the second-largest cross-border category, and ECDB attributes this to price: cross-border leaders offer affordable alternatives to costly branded devices, and that price gap is one of their main competitive advantages². ECDB also says electronics raises questions about warranties, plug types and EU compliance, and that each adds cost or risk to an order placed at a distance². Electronics retailers, it notes, compete on price against cheaper unbranded alternatives².

Our analysis: the sources do not test whether a lower price alone wins electronics sales. Our reading is that an EU seller can only separate its offer from a cheaper import on the points ECDB names (warranty, plug type and EU compliance), and only if buyers value them enough to pay more. This is interpretation, not an ECDB finding.

Shares and risks by category

Outside fashion and electronics, ECDB reports the following shares of cross-border spend: Furniture & Homeware 10.2%, Care Products 9.5%, Hobby & Leisure 9.5%, DIY 4.9% and Grocery 0.2%². No other category reaches more than about a tenth of cross-border spending once fashion and electronics are excluded².

The scoring questions are our suggestions, not source statements.

What the new EU charges mean per item

From 1 July 2026, the EU applies a temporary €3 customs duty per item on low-value consignments of up to €150 imported from outside the EU³. This ended the duty exemption that applied until 30 June 2026⁴. The duty applies per item based on tariff classification, not quantity⁵. The Commission's example: five T-shirts attract one €3 duty, because they share one tariff classification, while three T-shirts and a watch attract €6, because they fall under two classifications⁵. The seller or importer is responsible for declaring and paying the duty⁵.

The Union handling fee of €2 applies from 1 November 2026⁴. The public summaries we reviewed do not say whether the fee is charged per item or per parcel, so model both bases until the Commission's guidance settles it. That guidance is linked from the Commission's EU Customs Reform page, which says it will be updated periodically⁴.

The Commission says the earlier exemption "gives non-EU sellers an unfair advantage over businesses that manufacture or sell products in the EU"⁵. ECDB gives a worked example of the scale: a €3 duty "barely registers on a €100 jacket", but on a €5 phone case it adds 60% to the price³.

For a seller, the first step is to classify each SKU by tariff code, because the duty follows classification. Next, add the duty and the fee to landed cost, then compare the result with EU-stocked prices. Our guide on landed cost before fees and margin covers the cost build-up. The EU €3 parcel duty and €2 handling fee timeline sets out the dates³.

Our analysis: two scenarios and how to score each SKU

This section is our interpretation, not reporting. The sources do not forecast how prices or shares will move after the charges took effect.

Two outcomes are worth testing against your own margins.

Scenario (a): the price gap narrows. If the new charges reduce the advantage of low-priced imports, EU-made or EU-stocked fashion and electronics could gain ground. This would matter most for items where an EU seller already has a similar landed cost.

Scenario (b): platforms move stock into the EU. Platforms are opening warehouses on European soil to avoid parcel fees and speed up deliveries¹. ECDB says Temu, Shein and AliExpress are only now building this infrastructure, and that local warehouses take time and capital³. If low prices persist with a domestic footprint, local delivery alone will not close the gap; sellers would then need to compete on product differentiation, returns handling and compliance rather than delivery speed.

The practical test is whether a SKU stays competitive under both scenarios. A product that only wins under scenario (a) is a riskier sourcing bet. We recommend scoring each SKU on:

• landed cost including the duty and, once the basis is confirmed, the fee;
• margin after those charges;
• how many non-EU sellers offer a near-identical item;
• shipping class, return rate and breakage or spoilage exposure; and
• the documentation the category requires, such as warranty and compliance records for electronics.

What to watch next

• ECDB's next data release. ECDB says "the next round of data will show how much of China's share depended on the old customs regime"³. ECDB publishes monthly², so the 46.2% fashion share and electronics' second place can be checked against new releases.
• The temporary duty's end date. The €3 duty is a temporary flat fee that applies until 1 July 2028⁴.
• The EU Customs Data Hub. Use of the data hub to record imports becomes mandatory for e-commerce on 1 July 2028⁴.
• Platform warehouse announcements. Openings of EU warehouses by non-EU platforms would show whether scenario (b) is taking shape¹.