EU presses China on unsafe exports as trade frictions intensify
Beijing — European Union lawmakers pressed Chinese officials this week over a surge of unsafe products entering the bloc and restricted market access for EU firms, as they launched their first parliamentary visit to China in eight years amid efforts to stabilise strained ties.
The three-day visit, which began on Tuesday, follows the EU’s move to overhaul its customs regime, targeting largely Chinese e-commerce platforms with stricter safety checks and potential penalties 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.
In talks with the State Administration for Market Regulation, EU lawmakers flagged what they described as a high influx of dangerous and non-compliant goods entering the European market from China. Discussions also focused on the liability of online marketplaces and the need to safeguard fair competition.
The delegation raised broader concerns including forced labour, protection of minors online and longstanding barriers faced by European firms seeking access to the Chinese market, the 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 step widely viewed as an attempt to ease trade frictions at a time of growing tension 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, shipments valued below 150 euros are exempt from customs duties, a threshold that has underpinned 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 Alibaba and Shein.
The planned meeting with Shein follows a February investigation into the sale of child-like sex dolls on its platform, intensifying regulatory scrutiny of cross-border online marketplaces.
