EU presses China on unsafe exports as trade tensions resurface
Beijing — European Union lawmakers pressed Chinese officials this week over a surge of unsafe products entering the bloc and limited market access for EU firms, as they began their first parliamentary visit to China in eight years amid renewed efforts to stabilise strained ties.
The three-day visit, which started on Tuesday, comes days after the EU agreed to overhaul its customs system, targeting largely Chinese e-commerce platforms with stricter safety checks and potential fines for selling illegal or non-compliant goods.
A nine-member delegation led by Anna Cavazzini, chair of the European Parliament’s Internal Market and Consumer Protection committee, met officials from China’s market regulator and members of the National People’s Congress in Beijing, according to statements from the parliamentary body.
During discussions with China’s State Administration for Market Regulation, EU lawmakers highlighted concerns over what they described as a high influx of dangerous and non-compliant products entering the European market from China.
The talks also covered the liability of online marketplaces and the need to ensure fair competition.The delegation raised broader issues including forced labour, protection of minors online and longstanding concerns about access for European companies to the Chinese market, the parliamentary committee said.
Beijing welcomed the visit as an opportunity to stabilise relations following its decision last year to lift sanctions on several EU lawmakers, a move seen as an attempt to ease trade tensions at a time of growing friction with the United States.
China had imposed sanctions in 2021 on 10 EU individuals and four entities in response to European measures targeting Chinese officials over alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang.
The EU is grappling with a surge in low-value e-commerce imports, with 5.8 billion parcels entering the bloc in 2025, more than 90% of which are estimated to originate from China.
Under current rules, parcels valued below 150 euros are exempt from customs duties, a threshold that has supported the rapid expansion of platforms such as Shein, Temu and AliExpress.
EU lawmakers are expected to meet representatives from major Chinese e-commerce firms during the visit, including Shein, Alibaba and Temu.
The meeting with Shein follows a February investigation into the sale of child-like sex dolls on its platform, adding to regulatory scrutiny of online marketplaces operating across borders.
