German government develops ‘ecommerce action plan’

A spokeswoman from Habeck’s ministry confirmed to the German business news platform Capital that an action plan is in the works. She emphasized that traders from both within and outside the European Union should be treated equally. Enforcing existing regulations plays a key role in this, as Ecommerce Europe advocated in an open letter a few months ago.

Consistent enforcement

When asked about the action plan, Habeck’s spokesperson further stated: “It is crucial that existing legislation is enforced as consistently against traders from third countries as it is against those from the EU.” This includes regulations on product safety, environmental protection, and consumer protection, as well as customs and tax laws. With concrete measures, the ministry hopes to ensure fair competition conditions for all market participants.

Details about the action plan have not yet been announced. According to Capital, discussions have already taken place in recent months with the federal states, the European Commission, and the EU Parliament, and reportedly also with Shein and Temu.

Shein and Temu under fire

Shein and Temu have come under fire in various European countries, including Germany, in recent months. In February, Handelsverband Deutschland (HDE) called on politicians to take stricter action against cheap marketplaces from China. This spring, German consumer organizations accused Temu of unfair trading practices, a charge that was denied by the fast-growing international ecommerce arm of Chinese tech giant PDD Holdings.

Popular platforms

Nevertheless, the platforms are popular among German shoppers. Research revealed that by last spring, 43 percent of consumers had already made a purchase from Shein and/or Temu.

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