Chinese parcel deluge overwhelms Belgian customs at Liege airport
Over 4 million small parcels from China arrive daily at Liege Airport, Belgium, overwhelming a customs team of just 80 officers. Top customs official Kristian Vanderwaeren reports that many products fail EU standards, with 30% of inspected parcels in violation and a 100% infringement rate for cosmetics. The surge intensified after US President Donald Trump's return to the White House last year, diverting more parcels to Europe. Italy and France introduced handling fees this year, redirecting additional parcels to Liege to avoid charges. Vanderwaeren emphasizes the core issue is product quality, not quantity, calling for bilateral cooperation to ensure Chinese goods meet European standards before arrival. Belgian customs are issuing fines rapidly to cope.
Key facts
- Over 4 million small parcels from China arrive at Liege Airport daily since early 2025.
- Belgian customs inspection team at Liege has only 80 members.
- 30% of inspected parcels violate EU standards; 100% of cosmetic products fail.
- Surge attributed to US President Donald Trump's return to the White House last year.
- Italy and France introduced handling fees for small parcels in 2025, redirecting more parcels to Liege.
- Kristian Vanderwaeren is Belgium's top customs official.
- Liege Airport was built partly to serve e-commerce platforms like Amazon, Shein, Temu, and Alibaba.
- Belgian customs are issuing fines swiftly due to the overload.
Entities
Institutions
- Belgian customs
- Liege Airport
- Amazon
- Shein
- Temu
- Alibaba
- Daldewolf law firm
- European Union
Locations
- China
- Belgium
- Liege
- Netherlands
- Germany
- France
- Italy
- United States
- White House
- Brussels
- Beijing