85 to 95 percent of Shein, AliExpress, and Temu goods fail EU rules
A European market inspection found that 85 to 95 percent of products from Shein, AliExpress, and Temu do not meet EU product legislation, with risks including choking hazards, overheating electronics, and banned substances, and many items lacking the legally required EU-based representative. Dutch regulators, whose country alone sees more than a billion e-commerce parcels from China each year, are calling for a joint compliance effort across producers, sellers, shippers, governments, and consumers.
Amazon has responded with the Trusted Expert Network, an invitation-only EU program that enlists product experts and industry professionals to flag risky listings. Participants create a Compliance Central account and submit reports with product details, ASINs, and supporting lab or research documentation.
On trade, the administration has signaled an additional 10 percent tariff on Chinese imports and 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico by February 1. A retail industry study estimates tariffs could cut U.S. consumer spending power by as much as $78 billion. Customs and Border Protection has separately proposed restricting de minimis treatment for goods covered by Section 201, 232, and 301 tariffs, noting 77 percent of shipments claiming the exemption in fiscal 2023 would have owed duties, and that Section 301 rates run 7.5 to 100 percent versus a standard rate under 2 percent. Shipments will also need tariff classification numbers.
A prominent seller sparked debate by calling out a double standard: U.S. sellers criticize Chinese competition on Amazon, which now accounts for over half the marketplace, while happily selling through Chinese-owned TikTok. He argues true fairness means reciprocity in Chinese markets, and the platform has a 75-day extension to sell or shut down.
Product seeding platforms are gaining ground as influencers tire of random gifting. A 2025 roundup names Brandwatch with 24 million-plus creators, Modash with over 200 million, Upfluence with live-inventory gifting, Creator.co with 300 million profiles, LTK with 100,000-plus vetted creators, Statusphere with 250-plus matching data points, Influencity with Shopify inventory sync, Heepsy, Klear, and BuzzSumo.
Data also shows the pace of new competition: of roughly 600 million active products on Amazon, 8,293,427 launched in just the last six months of 2024.
