The European Commission has introduced a temporary customs duty of 3 euros ($3.42) on imported, low-value parcels imported mainly through e-commerce, covering products like clothing, electronics and other consumer goods worth up to 150 euros, the Commission said Monday.

The levy is effective this Wednesday and will be applied per item, based on tariff classification and not quantity, according to the statement. The Commission said the seller or importer will be in charge of declaring and paying the duty.

"The current customs duty exemption gives non-EU sellers an unfair advantage," the Commission said.

In a Wednesday report, Reuters said the new regulation is a move to curb competition from Chinese retailers like Shein, PDD Holdings' (PDD) Temu, and Alibaba's (BABA) AliExpress.

The companies did not immediately respond to MT Newswires' requests for comments.