The European Union (EU) will tighten its crackdown on goods entering through Chinese e-commerce platforms such as Shein and Alibaba.
On the 13th (local time), Michael McGrath, the EU Commissioner for Democracy, Justice and the Rule of Law, said in an interview with the Financial Times (FT) that "there is a surge in dangerous products being shipped directly from China to European consumers' homes."
Commissioner McGrath pointed out that Chinese-made products with safety issues serious enough to cause fatal harm to users, such as cosmetics and toys, are being imported, but only a very small portion are being blocked due to overburdened enforcement staff.
He went on to explain that current consumer protection and market surveillance rules are not sufficient to stop dangerous Chinese products from entering the EU. He stressed that "stronger deterrence is needed" for imports of Chinese products.
According to Commissioner McGrath, 4.6 billion low-value parcels were brought into the EU last year, and about 90% of them were confirmed to have come from China. Commissioner McGrath said the number of low-value parcels is doubling every two years.
Accordingly, the EU decided to push a plan to empower the European Commission, the EU's executive branch, to intervene directly in investigations into Chinese imports to ease the burden on member states.
The European Commission recently launched an investigation into Shein on suspicion of selling products with illegal elements, such as adult dolls that resemble children. France also temporarily suspended operation of the Shein site in the country for advertising problematic products.
Meanwhile, to strengthen regulations on cheap Chinese e-commerce imports, the EU decided to abolish the tax exemption for low-value parcels under €150 (255,000 won). Before imposing a full tariff, the EU plans to charge a €3 fee per item category on low-value parcels starting in Jul. 2026.