Regulatory capture can be such a loaded term but this finding was about safety compliance.
Your tiny-batch stickers reflect of local wage levels more than EU regulation. VAT will be part of it too.
But on safety compliance, the electrical crap that Temu (et al) rain on our countries is a fire hazard. It shouldn't be controversial that goods that don't meet EU standards be barred.
When sales are direct B2C, the EU can't retroactively (or prospectively) stop them, nor recall sent units, not in the way they can when a container rocks up with tens of thousands of units that turn out to be dodgy.
I don't know what the answer is. Making Temu (et al) liable for goods' compliance —in the way importers are— seems like a sensible start.
Fine, but I also gave the example of 12 EUR for a wine opener that I can get for 2 EUR on temu. Lots of people in this thread pointed out how Temu doesn't pay VAT and/or other taxes etc which were plain trumpian style misinformation.
In my mind this 10 eur markup on this simple cheap good is directly related to lack of competition in retail in europe.
> I don't know what the answer is. Making Temu (et al) liable for goods' compliance —in the way importers are— seems like a sensible start.
Sure! However the way things are moving, it'll end with Temu/Shein being banned in europe in a few months.
Retail has obvious expenses. The trade-off is instant purchase and customer service. And yes, another layer of profit extraction.
> Temu doesn't pay VAT and/or other taxes etc
Many of their orders are below the threshold for import duties. Some come with "gift" declarations which shift the VAT and duty thresholds. Direct sales skirt the tax laws. Again, I'd be shocked if all the tax they collect was declared and paid. The EU would have no way to verify.
Your tiny-batch stickers reflect of local wage levels more than EU regulation. VAT will be part of it too.
But on safety compliance, the electrical crap that Temu (et al) rain on our countries is a fire hazard. It shouldn't be controversial that goods that don't meet EU standards be barred.
When sales are direct B2C, the EU can't retroactively (or prospectively) stop them, nor recall sent units, not in the way they can when a container rocks up with tens of thousands of units that turn out to be dodgy.
I don't know what the answer is. Making Temu (et al) liable for goods' compliance —in the way importers are— seems like a sensible start.