UK retailers urge faster end to tax break on low-value imported goods

Primark, Currys and Boohoo criticise government for waiting until 2029 to phase out exemption on customs duty

British retailers including Primark, Currys and Boohoo have criticised the government for waiting until 2029 to end a tax break on low-value imported goods that has allowed them to be undercut by the likes of Shein and Temu.

The British Retail Consortium, which represents all the major retailers, said there were 1.6m parcels arriving in the UK every day, double the number from last year, and “businesses cannot afford any delay on scrapping the existing rules”.