In view of the numerous violations of rules by Chinese low-cost marketplaces such as Temu, the German Retail Association (HDE) has called upon politicians and the authorities to ensure fair competition.
“Anyone who offers and sells goods in [Germany] must also abide by our rules and laws. Domestic retail companies invest a lot of money in complying with environmental and consumer protection regulations and finance the community with their tax payments,” said Stephan Tromp, Deputy Managing Director of HDE. “In contrast, masses of goods that violate all regulations are entering our market via Chinese platforms such as Temu.“ Legislators at the federal and EU levels have so far been largely helpless in this process. As a result, there can no longer be any talk of fair competition.
Sharper controls
“In the end, this also affects consumers. Because in the case of many products, no one checks whether they are safe and harmless to health,” Tromp continued. HDE is therefore calling for more and more thorough controls in order to get a better grip on the number of illegal products on the EU internal market. Among other things, the association is advocating a new customs procedure at the EU’s external borders.
Want to close the door
A digital platform is conceivable, where every parcel would have to be registered. Parcels from retail companies that repeatedly fail to comply with the law could then be sorted out in the future. “We need more attention and more willingness to act on this issue,” Tromp said. “This is a challenge for retailers, consumer protection and the authorities. It is up to politicians to come up with clever approaches to ensure that this open barn door for non-marketable products from the Far East is closed as quickly and as far as possible.”
