Eu Commission ‘shocked’ By Shein & Temu Goods’ Risks

EU Justice Commissioner Michael McGrath has voiced superior concerns complete nan information of products sold by online Chinese unit giants Shein and Temu, arsenic nan European Commission intensifies its scrutiny of nan 2 platforms. 

The crackdown comes arsenic nan EU processes 12 cardinal low-value parcels regular from non-EU online retailers, galore of which are suspected of flouting information regulations.

Justice Commissioner ‘shocked’ by debased value Shein & Temu goods

McGrath described himself arsenic “shocked” by nan findings, which see babe teethers pinch detachable beads posing choking hazards, children’s raincoats containing toxic chemicals, and sunglasses lacking UV protection. A caller MEP study besides highlighted cosmetics pinch butylphenyl methylpropional (Lilial), a constituent banned successful nan EU since 2022 owed to risks to fertility and foetal development. The findings stem from an ongoing EU-wide concealed shopper investigation, pinch results expected soon to further expose non-compliance by Chinese retailers.

The EU’s Safety Gate system, which tracks unsafe non-food products, issued a grounds 4,137 alerts past year, pinch cosmetics starring astir of nan complaints, followed by toys and electrical appliances. McGrath exposed a imaginable dual threat to nan EU successful unsafe products endanger consumers, and non-compliant sellers undermining European businesses who are forced to transportation nan weight of higher compliance costs.

Billions of mini consignments including from Shein and Temu nether Commission’s spotlight

The tremendous surge successful low-value imports from places for illustration China added up to immoderate 4.6 cardinal consignments nether €150 successful 2024, which was doubly that of nan erstwhile twelvemonth and is presently overwhelming nationalist customs systems. To reside nan issue, nan EU is considering abolishing nan €150 duty-free period and introducing a per-package handling interest to deter low-value purchases and money intensified customs checks. This is akin to caller actions successful nan US wherever an executive order by President Donald Trump ended nan $800 duty-free threshold, imposing a 30 per cent taxation aliases a $50 minimum per item.

McGrath plans to raise nan rumor pinch Chinese authorities, perchance astatine nan upcoming EU-China acme successful Beijing connected July 25. Shein, responding to nan allegations, highlighted its $15 cardinal finance successful compliance, including 2.5 cardinal merchandise information tests and partnerships pinch testing centres. Temu presented a study demonstrating its meticulous vetting of sellers and its collaboration pinch world certification bodies to guarantee compliance. Both companies person stressed their committedness to user safety, but nan EU remains unconvinced and wished to enforce stricter oversight to protect consumers and section businesses.