As a community of small business owners, we are experiencing the harsh consequences of unfair competition. We pay our due import taxes and comply diligently with all safety and standards regulations, while Temu and Shein import products by air on a massive scale, Temu alone up to 1500 cargo flights per month. This volume of air importation has an estimated carbon footprint that is 100 times greater than shipping by sea, according to expert analysis. In addition, these companies exploit the "de minimis loophole" to evade duty and import taxes - a significant sum of money that the taxpayers must bear.

I am super angry here's why..

As the founder of Ancient Wisdom (a giftware wholesaler) supplying independent retailers for almost 30 years I feel the unfair competition from Temu and the like is undermining independent traders like nothing before. 

In 30 years of being involved in this industry (made up of kind wonderful people) I'm angry and horrified to see it being decimated.. Everyday we hear the stories of struggling retailers. Those thousands of untaxed plane loads of goods are taking sales directly from our local high streets and craft markets. My gut feeling is a loss of about 15-20% of sales directly because of this tax and standards loophole. (Perplexity Deep Research after checking says my gut feeling is well founded).

Facts Here

Other countries acted quickly to stop this and protect their independent retailers and importers. Indonesia and Vietnam banned Temu out right, India would if they came, Australia impose proper standards regulations. The USA is adding a tariff as soon as it possible.

UK is only talking about doing something in a year or so. We want them to do something right now. Instead of taxing hard working small businesses.. tax the loophole traders NOW.

It is hugely unfair on British business and resulting in self-evidently substandard and even dangerous products in the hands of our children. Anyone can browse theses companies websites and quickly find false safety and manufactures details. Trading Standards UK rightly apply high standards to UK import businesses but do nothing about this vast tide of substandard products swamping our country.

Furthermore, their profits are taxed outside the UK, denying our country its rightful tax revenue. This is not just unfair to us, the small businesses trying to survive, but also to the UK economy and the environment. This loophole should be closed and these companies should be taxed appropriately to level the playing field for all import businesses and reduce carbon emissions.

We urgently call on the Government to review the taxation system for air cargo imports and enforce fair taxation and standards rules for companies such as Temu and Shein. Let's not allow them to continue exploiting these policies for their self-benefit. Please sign this petition and add your voice to our call for fairness. Thank you.

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A little about me and Ancient Wisdom.

I started AW as a market trader so I understand how independent traders feel and the pressures they face. My first day of trading selling essential oils and oil burners to the good folk of Sheffield was 16th November 1995.

I remember it well.. It was a wet cold Thursday morning a long time before Google and Facebook, and as I laid out my market stall on a Sheffield street I was more than apprehensive about what people would think. But I was ready by eight, my humble offering laid out on that simple stall.. and stomping from foot to foot I awaited my first customer.

That first day was a complete disaster and honestly I almost gave up...

If you want to find out what happened next you can read about it here: History of AW.

From the beginning we had ethical, eco-friendly and trading fairly values - before almost any other giftware company. In this way AW has grown to be one of the UK and Europe's favourite giftware wholesalers. 

So these days I have the privilege to focus on my passion which is building relationships with artisans and family businesses in places like Nepal, Indonesia, India, Morocco and.. even China but (as everywhere) we carefully vet and deal with family businesses we know.. I travel a lot.. follow me here