Foreign Media: Small Packages from China Flood Into Belgium, Liège Airport Overwhelmed
Since the beginning of this year, Liège Cargo Airport in Belgium has been receiving over 4 million small packages daily from China, while only 80 Belgian customs officers are responsible for inspection.
Christian Van der Velden, Director of Belgian Customs, stated that after former U.S. President Trump abolished the duty-free policy for Chinese parcels under $800 last year, a large volume of shipments originally destined for the United States were rerouted to Europe, pushing airport capacity to its limit. After Italy and France separately introduced handling fees for small parcels this year, more packages have flowed into Belgium to avoid these charges, further worsening the situation.
The EU has proposed imposing a €2 handling fee and a fixed €3 fee on small parcels valued below €150, a move which China has opposed.
However, Van der Velden emphasized that the real issue is not quantity but quality—many of these packages fail to meet EU standards and contain inaccurate declarations of value. Among inspected parcels, 30% were found to be non-compliant, with the violation rate for cosmetics reaching as high as 100%. He called for cooperation between China and Europe to ensure Chinese products meet relevant standards before arriving in Europe.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1863458685911044/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.