The European Union will strengthen the inspection of goods from Asian marketplaces such as Shein and Temu during customs control. This is reported by The Guardian , UNN reports.
Details
It is noted that the inspection will take place as part of the European Commission's measures to combat "dangerous products" that have flooded the EU market.
The European Commission believes that billions of low-cost goods entering the bloc annually violate EU laws and that European companies are losing competition because of these goods.
Vice President of the European Commission Hanna Virkkunen said that the growth of e-commerce has led to "many problems" and that the EU must minimize the risks of dangerous goods that "threaten the health and safety of consumers.
Most of these products have been found to be unsafe, counterfeit, or even dangerous, so they often do not meet our standards
According to the publication, last year the EU received 4.6 billion low-value parcels, equivalent to 12 million per day, which is three times more than in 2022. More than 91% of parcels worth less than 150 euros came from China, where Temu and Shein produce and ship most of their goods.
In a policy paper published on Wednesday, the Commission said it will work with the national customs authorities of the 27 EU member states to focus on unsafe products sold online, including increased market surveillance and testing
According to the European Commission, the growth in the number of cheap goods purchased online, usually from Chinese marketplaces, is increasing pressure on customs.
Therefore, the European Commission calls on EU officials to cancel the exemption from duties on imports of goods below 150 euros and proposes to consider introducing a processing fee for retailers to cover the costs of supervising compliance with EU rules.
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The European Commission is also concerned about the environmental impact of the flow of cheap imports, ranging from pollution associated with the production of goods and transportation to "significant problems" that European authorities face when processing waste. The latter allegedly have to deal with low-quality, toxic or difficult-to-recycle products.
The EU has started talking about tightening inspections after US President Donald Trump imposed a 10% duty on goods from China, thereby banning duty-free delivery of goods to the US that are cheaper than $800.
Recall
The European Commission has launched a formal investigation into Temu for possible violations of the Digital Services Act. Preliminary analysis has shown that Temu may have failed to address inappropriate products and risks associated with the design of its platform, such as addictive reward programs, while failing to meet transparency obligations.