China’s Airfreight E-commerce Volumes Fall 16% in August

Airfreight volumes of e-commerce goods from China continued to decline in August, as new rules governing low-value imports into the European Union (EU) began to have a more visible impact on China–Europe cargo flows.

According to Aevean data, China’s airfreight e-commerce export volumes, measured by weight, fell 16% year on year in August. The European market accounted for a significant share of the overall decline, with volumes on the trade falling sharply over the same period.

China–Europe E-commerce Volumes Fall 40%

The steepest decline was recorded on the China–Europe trade, where e-commerce airfreight volumes fell 40% year on year in August.

The decline followed the EU’s introduction, effective 1 July 2026, of a temporary EUR 3 customs duty per item on imported consignments with a value of no more than EUR 150. The previous EUR 150 customs duty exemption threshold was also removed. The EUR 3 charge is applied to each item within a consignment rather than to each parcel.

The data shows that e-commerce volumes from China to the EU fell 29% year on year in July. By August, the decline had widened to 40%.

Aevean had previously reported that the decline on the China–Europe trade had begun before the EU’s new rules came into effect. In France, e-commerce volumes from China had already been falling since March, after the country introduced a charge on low-value parcels, ahead of the EU-wide rules taking effect in July.

Volumes Decline in Multiple Markets, While Africa Records Strong Growth

The downward trend was not limited to the China–Europe trade. According to Aevean data, e-commerce airfreight volumes from China to Asia-Pacific (APAC) fell 8% in August.

Markets in the Middle East, South Asia and Latin America also recorded declines, while volumes to North America were broadly unchanged from the same period a year earlier.

In contrast, volumes to Africa increased by 71%. According to Aevean, e-commerce platforms are adjusting their marketing activities and placing greater focus on the African market. However, the increase was recorded from a relatively small volume base compared with the major markets.

The differences across regions indicate that China’s e-commerce cargo flows are becoming increasingly differentiated by destination market, rather than declining uniformly across the entire network.

Low-Value Import Rules Continue to Evolve

The August developments come as several markets are adjusting or narrowing de minimis exemptions for low-value imports, affecting cross-border e-commerce flows.

In the US, the de minimis exemption for e-commerce consignments was abolished in May 2025. Brazil also adjusted its low-value import exemption regime in August 2024.

However, Aevean data shows that e-commerce volumes from China to the US and Brazil recovered after the new rules were introduced. This suggests that cargo flows can adjust according to the destination market and transport model as tariff conditions change.

In the EU, meanwhile, the decline is currently more pronounced on the China–Europe trade. The removal of the EUR 150 customs duty exemption threshold and the introduction of the temporary EUR 3 customs duty from July are changing the cost conditions for low-value e-commerce cargo flows.

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Source: Phaata.com (According to Air Cargo News)

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