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The European Commission has warned of a steep rise in unsafe products detected in the EU coming mostly from China, as the bloc tries to stem the surge in cheap ecommerce imports.
The commission on Wednesday said it received more than 4,000 alerts for dangerous products last year — the highest number since the EU-wide system was set up in 2003.
Cosmetics accounted for 36 per cent of dangerous products, the commission said. The most frequent risk factor was dangerous chemicals, such as a synthetic substance called BMHCA, which has been banned in the EU for harming the reproductive system.
Some 40 per cent of the unsafe products flagged last year had been imported from China, the commission said.
The report comes as the bloc tries to crack down on a steep increase in products sold on platforms such as Temu, Shein and Amazon Marketplace. European customers received more than 4bn lower-value packages last year, about 90 per cent of which are being delivered directly from China, and which are rarely inspected because they are duty-free.
In February, the commission proposed to make ecommerce companies liable for selling dangerous or illegal products on their platforms to the EU, and also to abolish the customs duty exemption for goods worth less than €150. It also wants to set up an EU customs authority.
“Online sales have grown dramatically in recent years,” said Michael McGrath, the EU commissioner responsible for consumer protection. “A significant portion of these products blatantly fail to meet our stringent safety standards and regulations, posing serious risks to consumer safety and also creating unfair competition for all of those companies who do abide by the EU rules.
“China is the origin of a significant portion of the products that ultimately are deemed unsafe. That is why we place significant priority on the bilateral co-operation with the Chinese authorities.”
McGrath said the commission was also considering reviewing its consumer protection rules to crack down harder on systematic and cross-border violations, which could give it “centralised investigative and enforcement powers”.
In addition to cosmetics, dangerous chemicals were detected in vape liquid, clothes, jewellery and toys, according to the report. Alerts had also been issued for some electrical appliances and motor vehicles.
Italy was the country with the highest number of dangerous product alerts, and also the third most important country of origin for the products, accounting for 16 per cent. Nearly a quarter of warnings were for products coming from other countries inside the European Economic Area, which includes the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.
In response, the China Chamber of Commerce to the EU said it urged all parties “to avoid politicising trade and product safety issues”. It said: “Ensuring the safety of goods in the EU market is a shared responsibility, and we remain committed to working collaboratively with European partners to uphold high standards across global supply chains.”
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