EU Cracks Down on Shein and Temu: A Battle Against Unsafe E-Commerce Imports

The European Commission is holding Chinese online retailers Temu and Shein accountable for selling unsafe products. This move is part of a larger effort to tackle low-cost e-commerce imports posing competition to EU businesses and environmental challenges, with parallels to U.S. actions.


Devdiscourse News Desk | Updated: 05-02-2025 17:53 IST | Created: 05-02-2025 17:53 IST
EU Cracks Down on Shein and Temu: A Battle Against Unsafe E-Commerce Imports

The European Commission announced a crackdown on Chinese retailers Temu and Shein, holding them liable for unsafe products sold on their platforms as part of a broader initiative addressing the influx of cheap e-commerce imports into the EU. The decision aligns with U.S. measures curbing similar issues.

This scrutinization is driven by the concerning volume of 4.6 billion low-value items entering the EU last year, many of which originate from China and create unfair competition for EU-compliant sellers while also harming the environment. A figure doubling that of 2023 underscores growing worry.

In an effort to secure consumer safety and environmental respect, the EU is proposing several measures, including a handling fee for supervising imports and the introduction of product safety sweeps via e-surveillance. Consumer cooperation is a key focus, with Shein expressing willingness to cooperate.

(With inputs from agencies.)

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