EU Justice Commissioner Michael McGrath has expressed shock at the dangers of goods sold by Shein and Temu, amid a crackdown on the popular Chinese retail platforms. The commission is investigating 12m low-value parcels daily from online retailers outside the bloc, with products including baby soothers with choking hazards, toxic chemicals in children’s raincoats, and cosmetics containing banned chemical Lilial.
McGrath vows to step up enforcement of EU product safety laws and consumer protection rules, citing concerns over unfair competition damaging local businesses. He plans to address the issue directly with Chinese authorities, possibly raising it at an EU-China summit on July 25.
Both Shein and Temu claim to prioritize product safety and compliance, but critics argue that more needs to be done to prevent toxic products from reaching EU consumers. The commission is considering measures such as abolishing the €150 duty-free threshold and introducing a handling fee for each package to deter low-value purchases.
Shein has invested $15m in compliance and safety initiatives, including 2.5m product quality tests, while Temu has partnerships with testing centers and proactive monitoring systems. However, concerns over the effectiveness of these measures remain, as thousands of alerts are sent out daily via EU consumer protection service Safety Gate.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/jul/20/eu-commissioner-shocked-dangerous-goods-sold-shein-temu