EU moves to tighten grip on Chinese e-commerce imports

EU lawmakers in China on Tuesday called on the country to improve product safety and increase market access during their first visit in eight years.

This week, a delegation of EU lawmakers is visiting several of the country’s biggest e-commerce platforms, including those linked to billionaire Jack Ma, founder of Ant Financial, which operates the Alipay payment system.

Their trip comes just days after the European Union agreed on new customs regulations aimed at online retailers based in China.

These rules target platforms through which potentially dangerous or illicit goods could be imported into the EU, with traders facing fines.

European lawmakers on Wednesday urged the government to do more to reassure consumers concerned about safety and to expand access to foreign markets, state media said.

A European Parliament delegation led by Anna Cavazzini, chair of the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee, has held meetings in Beijing with senior officials from China’s market regulator and members of the National People’s Congress.

Lawmakers on a European delegation to China’s main marketplace for foreign goods expressed concern on Wednesday over consumer and product safety, forced labour, the protection of minors online, and access to the Chinese market for European companies.

The group called for greater clarity on the liability of online marketplaces for products that prove to be dangerous or non-compliant, as well as measures to promote fair competition.

They said they had identified a “large number of dangerous and non-compliant products imported from China.”

EU tightens customs rules for e-commerce platforms

The platforms will come under pressure from customs authorities as the EU moves to crack down on online retailers that ship goods directly to consumers, following changes to trading rules.

The EU currently does not charge customs duty on parcels valued at less than €150 ($173.42), a policy that has helped fuel a surge in demand for low-cost Chinese fashion and homeware sold through platforms such as Shein, Temu, and AliExpress.

During the meetings, both sides briefed each other on issues of mutual interest, including trade and transit.

China banned 10 European Union individuals and four EU entities from entering the country in 2021 after the EU imposed sanctions on Chinese officials over alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang, according to Reuters.

Meetings set with Shein, Alibaba and Temu

US politicians are set to visit some of China’s largest e-commerce companies this week, including online retailer Shein, US media reported on Tuesday.

The delegation is also expected to meet Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba (9988.HK) and PDD Holdings, which operates discount platform Temu, Reuters reported.

In February, a report alleged that child-like sex dolls were being sold on Shein’s website.

EU lawmakers are seeking to tighten safety checks and hold platforms more accountable for the goods listed on their sites, as cross-border online shopping within the EU continues to grow.

Regulators are also working to ensure consistent enforcement of rules across the single market.

The talks in Beijing will test whether China is taking meaningful steps to improve product safety and enforce accountability across its e-commerce platforms.

At the same time, the EU will be assessing its ability to coordinate a sweeping overhaul of customs rules amid a growing flood of small parcels from Chinese online sellers.