BRUSSELS, Feb 5 (Reuters) - 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 ecommerce imports into the European

Union.

The EU executive also said it would coordinate a joint

investigation by the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC)

Network of national consumer authorities into Shein based on

suspicions that the company infringes EU consumer protection

rules.

The measures by the EU executive echoed a similar push by

the U.S. government which ended a trade provision this week used

by retailers including Temu and Shein to ship low-value packages

duty-free to the United States.

The Commission said its concerns were triggered by some 4.6

billion low-value items below 22 euros 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.

It said the cheap imports pose unfair competition to EU

sellers which follow the rules while the large number of

packages being shipped has a negative impact on the environment

and climate.

"We want to see a competitive e-commerce sector that keeps

consumers safe, offers convenient products, and is respectful of

the environment," EU tech chief Henna Virkkunnen said in a

statement.

Shein said it would engage with the consumer agencies and

the Commission.

"We share the CPC Network's goal of ensuring European

consumers can shop online with peace of mind, and we intend to

work closely with the CPC Network and the Commission to address

any concerns," a spokesperson said.

Temu did not immediately respond to a request for comment.