China’s online retailers – including fast-growing internet merchants Shein and Temu – are in the cross hairs of EU authorities amid concerns about the volume and quality of their products flooding the European market. Officials are studying a range of actions, including the possibility of introducing customs duties on items that fall below the €150 value threshold at which import taxes are applied. The European Commission has also considered punitive action against the transport subsidies received by Chinese operators, which allow goods to be sent at a low cost by air cargo from China to quickly meet booming consumer demand.
Shipments of low-value items from China to the European Union’s 27 member states have surged in recent years, as online marketplaces such as Shein, Temu and AliExpress have aggressively targeted the EU’s consumers through prominent advertising and search engine optimization, the South China Morning Post reports.
