Chinese online marketplace Temu and fast-fashion retailer Shein will be liable for the sale of unsafe and dangerous products on their platforms, the European Commission said on Wednesday as part of a crackdown against the flood of cheap e-commerce imports into the EU.

The commission said it would co-ordinate a joint investigation by the Consumer Protection Co-operation (CPC) Network of national consumer authorities into Shein based on suspicions that the company infringes EU consumer protection rules.

The measures  echoed a similar push by the US government which ended a trade provision this week used by retailers including Temu and Shein to ship low-value packages duty-free to the US.

The commission said its concerns were triggered by about 4.6-billion low-value items below €22 (R425) imported into the EU last year, equal to 12-million parcels per day, 91% of which came from China. The figure was double that in 2023.