Temu has told a European Parliament delegation that it recognises the scale of the problem of non-compliant products sold into the EU and is willing to take more responsibility for what is sold on its platform. The signal came during a rare parliamentary visit to China this week, where Danish MEP Christel Schaldemose said she was surprised by how directly the company acknowledged the issue.
The meetings in Beijing and Shanghai took place as Brussels intensifies pressure on Chinese e-commerce platforms over product safety, unfair competition and customs enforcement. Schaldemose, a vice-president of the European Parliament and a member of the Social Democrats, said the platform’s message was notable, but also stressed that promises will have to be tested in practice.
Why the Temu meeting matters for EU product safety
The visit was the first official delegation from the European Parliament to China in eight years. Members of the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee met Chinese officials, customs authorities and major e-commerce companies including Temu, Alibaba and Shein.
For EU lawmakers, the central issue was not only the low price of many goods sold through these platforms, but whether they comply with European rules on safety, chemicals and consumer protection. Schaldemose said some sample checks have found breaches in 50 to 80 per cent of parcels linked to the platforms, underlining how difficult it remains for EU authorities to control the volume of low-value imports.
Temu signals a shift on seller responsibility
One of the most politically relevant points from the meeting was Temu’s reported openness to assuming a broader seller responsibility. Until now, platforms have often argued that they function mainly as intermediaries rather than direct sellers, limiting their liability for the products offered by third-party merchants.
That distinction is increasingly under pressure in Brussels. According to Schaldemose, Temu indicated that it may be ready to move before the full EU customs overhaul takes effect in 2028. That does not amount to a legal change yet, but it suggests that the company understands the direction of EU policy and the risk of tougher enforcement.
Schaldemose said she remained cautious about Chinese promises, but added that she had been struck by the apparent sincerity of the response.
Brussels is already tightening rules on Chinese e-commerce
The political timing of the meeting is important. The European Commission has already moved on several fronts against large non-EU marketplaces. In July 2025, it said it had preliminarily found Temu in breach of the Digital Services Act over the risk of illegal products being sold on the platform. The EU executive is also coordinating wider consumer protection enforcement involving Temu and Shein.
At the same time, the EU has been redesigning its customs framework to deal with the flood of small parcels entering the single market. EU data and recent reporting show that 5.8 billion low-value e-commerce parcels entered the bloc in 2025, with more than 90 per cent originating in China. That scale has made effective checks far harder and has reinforced complaints from European retailers, consumer groups and market surveillance authorities.
A new temporary €3 fee on low-value parcels is due to start in July 2026, ahead of a broader customs reform expected to apply from 2028. The reform is intended to place more responsibility on online platforms and make sanctions more credible when EU rules are breached.
What this means for consumers before 2028
For now, the meeting does not change the legal position for EU consumers. Platforms such as Temu remain under scrutiny, and Schaldemose has warned that buyers should continue to be very careful when ordering goods that may not meet EU standards.
Still, the exchange in China matters because it shows that pressure from Brussels is starting to shape the public stance of the platforms themselves. The unresolved question is whether that will translate into fewer unsafe products, better compliance checks and clearer accountability long before the 2028 reform enters into force.
The broader significance goes beyond one company. The dispute over Temu reflects a larger EU effort to defend consumer safety and fair competition in the single market while redefining how global platforms are treated when they sell directly into Europe.
