Belgian Airport Faces Parcel Influx from China Amid EU Regulatory and Quality Concerns

Apr 25, 2026, 07:00

Introduction

The freight airport in Liege, Belgium, is receiving over four million small parcels from China daily, a volume that has strained its customs inspection capacity. With only 80 staff members, the facility is grappling with both quantitative and qualitative challenges, as European and national policy changes redirect trade flows and raise compliance issues.

Main Body

The Liege airport, strategically located near the Netherlands, Germany, and France, was originally developed to serve major e-commerce platforms including Amazon, Shein, Temu, and Alibaba. According to Kristian Vanderwaeren, Belgium’s top customs official, the volume of small parcels from China has increased substantially following the return of US President Donald Trump to office in January 2025. An executive order signed on February 1, 2025, eliminated the de minimis exemption that had allowed Chinese packages valued under US$800 to enter the United States duty-free. This policy shift diverted a significant portion of Chinese e-commerce shipments to European entry points, particularly Liege. Further exacerbating the situation, Italy and France introduced their own handling fees for small parcels earlier this year. Vanderwaeren noted that these national charges prompted shippers to redirect parcels to Belgium to avoid the additional costs, thereby increasing the burden on Liege’s customs team. In response to similar complaints from multiple member states, the European Union has proposed a bloc-wide handling fee of €2 (US$2.36) and a flat-rate fee of €3 per small parcel valued below €150, to be implemented later this year. The Chinese government has characterized these proposed measures as unfair. While the proposed EU fees have generated diplomatic friction between Brussels and Beijing, Vanderwaeren emphasized that the primary issue is not the sheer quantity of parcels but their compliance with European standards. He reported that 30% of inspected small parcels violate EU regulations, and for certain product categories—such as cosmetics—the infringement rate reaches 100%. Many shipments, he stated, contain goods that do not meet European safety or quality requirements, and their declared values are frequently inaccurate. Belgian customs authorities have responded by issuing fines expeditiously, reflecting their limited capacity to conduct thorough inspections on such a large scale.

Conclusion

The confluence of US trade policy changes, national European fees, and EU-wide regulatory proposals has created a logistical and compliance bottleneck at Liege airport. The core challenge, according to Belgian customs, lies in ensuring that Chinese products adhere to European standards before arrival, a matter that requires bilateral cooperation between China and the EU to address both the volume and the quality of incoming parcels.

Vocabulary Learning

confluence (n.)
the coming together of two or more things, especially events or factors匯合；交匯
Example:The confluence of US trade policy changes, national European fees, and EU-wide regulatory proposals has created a logistical and compliance bottleneck at Liege airport.
divert (v.)
to cause something to change direction or be used for a different purpose轉移；改道
Example:This policy shift diverted a significant portion of Chinese e-commerce shipments to European entry points, particularly Liege.
exacerbate (v.)
to make a problem or bad situation worse加劇；惡化
Example:Further exacerbating the situation, Italy and France introduced their own handling fees for small parcels earlier this year.
expeditiously (adv.)
in a way that is quick and efficient迅速地；高效地
Example:Belgian customs authorities have responded by issuing fines expeditiously, reflecting their limited capacity to conduct thorough inspections on such a large scale.
infringement (n.)
a violation or breach of a law, rule, or agreement違規；侵權
Example:For certain product categories—such as cosmetics—the infringement rate reaches 100%.

Sentence Learning

An executive order signed on February 1, 2025, eliminated the de minimis exemption that had allowed Chinese packages valued under US$800 to enter the United States duty-free.
Reduced Relative Clause & Participial Phrase: The sentence uses a reduced relative clause ('signed on February 1, 2025') modifying 'executive order', and a full relative clause ('that had allowed...') modifying 'exemption'. Additionally, the participial phrase 'valued under US$800' post-modifies 'packages'. This layering of modifiers creates high syntactic density.縮減關係從句與分詞短語：句子使用了縮減關係從句（「signed on February 1, 2025」）修飾「executive order」，以及完整關係從句（「that had allowed...」）修飾「exemption」。此外，分詞短語「valued under US$800」後置修飾「packages」。這種修飾語的層疊造成了高度的句法密度。
Further exacerbating the situation, Italy and France introduced their own handling fees for small parcels earlier this year.
Fronted Participial Phrase: The sentence begins with the participial phrase 'Further exacerbating the situation', which is fronted for emphasis and to show cause-effect. This structure is a form of inversion that places the adverbial modifier before the main clause, creating a more formal and rhetorical tone.前置分詞短語：句子以分詞短語「Further exacerbating the situation」開頭，前置是為了強調並顯示因果關係。此結構是一種倒裝形式，將狀語修飾語置於主句之前，營造更正式且具修辭效果的語氣。
While the proposed EU fees have generated diplomatic friction between Brussels and Beijing, Vanderwaeren emphasized that the primary issue is not the sheer quantity of parcels but their compliance with European standards.
Concessive Clause & Correlative Conjunction: The sentence uses a concessive clause introduced by 'While' to contrast the diplomatic friction with the main assertion. The correlative conjunction 'not...but...' within the reported clause creates a sharp contrast, emphasizing the real issue. This combination demonstrates sophisticated logical structuring.讓步從句與關聯連詞：句子使用「While」引導的讓步從句，將外交摩擦與主要論點形成對比。在引述從句中，關聯連詞「not...but...」造成鮮明對比，強調真正的問題所在。此組合展現了複雜的邏輯結構。
He reported that 30% of inspected small parcels violate EU regulations, and for certain product categories—such as cosmetics—the infringement rate reaches 100%.
Parenthetical Insertion & Parallelism: The sentence features a parenthetical insertion set off by dashes ('—such as cosmetics—') which provides an example without disrupting the flow. The parallel structure of two independent clauses ('30%...violate...' and 'for certain...reaches...') linked by 'and' enhances clarity and rhythm.插入語與平行結構：句子使用了破折號分隔的插入語（「—such as cosmetics—」），在不打亂節奏的情況下提供例子。兩個獨立子句（「30%...violate...」和「for certain...reaches...」）通過「and」連接，形成平行結構，增強了清晰度和節奏感。
The core challenge, according to Belgian customs, lies in ensuring that Chinese products adhere to European standards before arrival, a matter that requires bilateral cooperation between China and the EU to address both the volume and the quality of incoming parcels.
Appositive with Relative Clause & Infinitive Purpose: The sentence contains an appositive noun phrase ('a matter that requires...') which renames 'the core challenge' and includes a relative clause ('that requires...'). The infinitive phrase 'to address both...' expresses purpose. This layered nominal structure adds depth and formality.同位語帶關係從句與不定式目的：句子包含一個同位語名詞短語（「a matter that requires...」），其重新命名「the core challenge」，並包含關係從句（「that requires...」）。不定式短語「to address both...」表達目的。這種層疊的名詞性結構增添了深度和正式感。