Temu, Shein and AliExpress lose ground in Hungary after new EU customs charge

News Economy Temu, Shein and AliExpress lose ground in Hungary after new EU customs charge Bálint Csontos Published: 5h ago Updated: 2h ago EN DE ZH Source: Pixabay Hungarian shoppers are becoming more cautious about ordering from Temu, Shein and AliExpress after new EU customs rules made low-value purchases from outside the bloc more expensive. PwC Hungary says shopping habits are already shifting, while some European marketplaces are beginning to benefit. The new rules entered into force on 1 July and ended the previous customs-duty exemption for low-value consignments worth up to EUR 150 arriving from outside the European Union. A temporary EUR 3 customs duty now applies per item based on tariff classification, meaning a parcel containing different types of products can attract the duty more than once. Speaking to InfoRádió , Szabolcs Timár, senior e-commerce consultant at PwC Hungary, said consumers are now paying much closer attention to the final price of an order, rather than simply looking at the advertised cost of individual items. PwC says this has encouraged more shoppers to compare offers from Hungarian and EU-based retailers before ordering from Asian marketplaces. Temu’s rapid rise in Hungary faces a setback The change is particularly significant because Chinese marketplaces have become a major force in Hungarian online retail. According to PwC, Hungarian consumers placed more than 13 million orders on Temu in 2025, worth around HUF 195 billion. Hungary’s total online product market was worth roughly HUF 2.1 trillion, meaning Temu alone accounted for close to one-tenth of the market. “So when we ask whether it was necessary to restrict Chinese platforms and level the playing field, the answer is definitely yes,” Timár said. The platform grew even faster ahead of the customs change. In the first quarter of 2026, Temu recorded almost 5 million Hungarian orders, up 92 percent year-on-year, and reached 1.8 million consumers. The shift had already begun before the new customs duty entered into force, where PwC has observed a noticeable decline in orders from outside the EU. Between the first and second quarters of 2026, the number of parcels arriving from outside the EU fell by around 750,000, while orders from within the bloc increased by more than 1.25 million. Timár said Temu, Shein and AliExpress are among the clearest losers so far, although he does not expect Hungarian consumers to abandon them altogether. Earlier: Temu takes over, Hungarian online shoppers now spend more abroad than at home! European retailers could benefit Some of the spending moving away from Chinese platforms is expected to shift towards Hungarian and other European retailers. PwC says the strongest regional beneficiary so far appears to be Polish marketplace Allegro, while Romania’s eMAG and Czech-based Alza are also well positioned. Hungarian platforms themselves have not gained as much ground. Chinese marketplaces are also likely to adapt, with expanding their warehouse networks inside the European Union. Goods imported in bulk into an EU warehouse can then be delivered to consumers from within the bloc. The customs cost still exists, but instead of appearing as an extra charge at checkout, it can be incorporated into the product price. Timár said this distinction matters because shoppers are often more sensitive to an unexpected fee added at the final stage of a purchase than to a slightly higher listed price. Cheap prices are no longer enough Low prices remain one of the main attractions of Temu, Shein and AliExpress, but PwC says their success also comes from huge product ranges, simple payment systems, fast delivery and customer-friendly services. For Hungarian shoppers, the change is unlikely to mean the end of ordering from Chinese marketplaces. Instead, PwC expects consumers to become more selective and pay closer attention to the true final cost of their purchases. For Temu, Shein and AliExpress, the next challenge will be to adapt quickly enough to keep the remaining shoppers from moving elsewhere. Read more from us: Temu, now one of the most-used shopping platforms in Hungary fined EUR 200 million by the EU Tags: China Hungary Trade Trade in Hungary Add dailynewshungary.com as a preferred source on Google Partner with us Reach Hungary's international audience. Explore options Get the most important Hungarian news every evening Join 7000+ readers worldwide. Unsubscribe anytime. Sign me up I accept the privacy policy . Support independent journalism Help us keep delivering credible news in English. Support us