French Vatry Airport to Close Amid Drop in Shein and Temu Cargo Orders
Vatry Airport in northeastern France will phase out operations over three years following a severe drop in cargo business caused by EU tariffs on low-cost e-commerce packages from Shein and Temu.
Vatry Airport, a major cargo hub located in the Marne valley of northeastern France, is facing a phased closure over the next three years following a steep decline in business. Jean-Marc Roze, president of the Marne departmental council, announced that an agreement to wind down operations will be signed on December 4, impacting the facility's 80 employees.
Opened in 2000, the airport became a primary casualty of new European Union measures targeting low-cost imported parcels from Chinese e-commerce giants like Shein and Temu. On July 1, the EU introduced a €3 tax on imported product categories valued under €150, which was followed on November 1 by an additional €2 handling fee.
The regulatory changes triggered an immediate drop in consumer orders, with French government data showing a 48% decline in reported value-added tax for such goods between June and August. Because 80% of Vatry Airport's revenues relied on freight transport, the collapse in parcel shipments severely crippled its financial viability. According to aviation tracking platform FlightAware, operational activity at the site plummeted by 63% compared to the previous year, leaving only a handful of daily flights.
The economic fallout mirrors international regulatory shifts, such as in the United States, where authorities previously eliminated customs exemptions for packages valued at $800 or less, subjecting them to a 54% tariff.
