Temu fined €200m for allowing sale of illegal products

The European Commission said the Chinese-owned online retailer had “failed to diligently identify, analyse and assess the systemic risks” of the products, which included faulty chargers and dangerous baby toys.

The regulator has been investigating Temu since October 2024 over whether it has been complying with EU law and meeting its obligations as a designated Very Large Online Platform.

It found in its probe that a high percentage of chargers purchased through the retailer’s website failed basic electrical safety tests and a high proportion of baby toys contained chemicals above the legal limits or featuring small detachable parts that presented suffocation hazards.

Temu now has until August 28 to present an action plan to address the failures found in the investigation. The EU then has two months to decide whether its enough to comply with the law.

The online retailer said it disagreed with the regulator’s decision and labelled the fine as disproportionate. 

A Temu spokesperson told the BBC in a statement that the retailer respected the need for clear, consistent rules, but that the decision related to 2024 and did not reflect the current state of its systems.

“We disagree with the European Commission’s decision and consider the fine to be disproportionate,” they said.

“We are reviewing the decision carefully and considering all available options.”