A political and regulatory fight over international e‑commerce is intensifying. A draft resolution due in the European Parliament plenary in Strasbourg tomorrow, 26/11, urges the European Commission to act to rein in platforms such as Shein, AliExpress and Temu. Lawmakers argue these platforms breach EU rules and sell illegal products — citing, among other concerns, cases of child pornography found during a French investigation into Shein.
Members of the European Parliament call for full enforcement of digital safety and product safety legislation, stronger customs controls and reinforced market surveillance mechanisms. The resolution also asks for legal powers to ban non‑compliant platforms from operating within the EU.
A few days later, at the Ecofin meeting on 12 December, EU finance ministers will present proposals for concrete customs measures intended to curb direct — and effectively untaxed — sales into Europe from China and other third countries.
Meanwhile, because of Black Friday, Chinese and other platforms are mounting last‑minute advertising and promotional offensives, trying to exploit the current, more lenient customs treatment while it remains in place.
The platform battle is driven in part by the existing "de minimis" exemption from duties and VAT for parcels under €150. That rule allowed a surge in low‑value, direct shipments from China to European consumers: last year 4.6 billion low‑value parcels entered the EU, over 90% of them from Chinese senders.
Separately, the CEO of French supermarket chain Casino has publicly called for a ban on Shein and Temu in Europe until 2028.
European institutions are now moving on multiple fronts — parliamentary resolution, proposed customs action by finance ministers, and strengthened enforcement of digital and product safety rules — to reduce what they describe as unfair competition and to address illegal or unsafe goods sold via large foreign platforms.
