EU plan for 2 euro fee on low-value parcels "a joke", says Carrefour boss

PARIS, July 2 (Reuters) - A European Union proposal to charge a 2 euro ($2.36)handling fee on low-value e-commerce packages coming into the bloc is "a joke", the head of Carrefour CARR.PA, Europe's largest food retailer, said on Wednesday.

The EU unveiled plans in May to end the duty-free treatment of low-value consignments worth no more than 150 euros and impose a 2 euro fee in 2028, as the bloc faces a surge in imports of billions of goods sold by online platforms such as Shein and Temu.

"This is a joke (...) Let's do a Trump tax, 100% of the value of the packages. There's a limit to low prices at all costs," Alexandre Bompard, who also heads the French Retailers Federation (FCD), told RTL radio.

He also urged the EU to move much faster with its proposed fees.

"If that price means the disappearance of toy manufacturers, textile manufacturers, small retailers, specialized retailers, and a crazy ecological bill, we can't pay that price, it's too high. And not in 2027, not tomorrow," he added.

Retailers in Greece have also urged Brussels to bring forward the fees.

($1 = 0.8490 euros)