Swiss lawmakers demand curbs on Chinese online retailers

Tens of thousands of packages are sent to Switzerland from China every day Keystone-SDA

The Swiss House of Representatives has agreed with the Senate to take tougher action against Temu and similar companies that sends tens of thousands of packages to Switzerland from China every day.

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The Chinese online platforms Temu and Shein are a thorn in the side of politicians because their products often fail to meet Swiss safety standards. Buying cheap goods from Temu and similar platforms can be very risky.

For example, a German influencer on the video platform TikTok reports on a melted cable of a charger he bought on Temu. Or a Swiss customer was injured after the power supply of a projector he bought from Temu exploded. 

“We have observed that many of these products do not meet the safety standards and security levels in Switzerland,” said parliamentarian Matthias Bregy. Both chambers have decided that foreign online platforms must declare if their products do not comply with Swiss standards. Furthermore, there will be more frequent checks of packages.

Consumer advocate Sara Stalder calls these solutions shams. “We’re talking about an incredibly large quantity of goods that enter Switzerland every day. Checking or declaring them is simply impossible.”

“If something is listed on a website, it might already be obsolete tomorrow because it’s no longer available.”

It would be far more effective if platforms like Temu could be held liable for defects in their products through a change in the law. This is not currently possible.

Parliamentarian Daniela Schneeberger, representing Swiss retailers, disagrees. “If we can’t conduct more inspections, that’s a declaration of failure. Our aim is to expand risk-based controls. This is crucial for consumer protection. After all, our Swiss retailers must also adhere to applicable regulations.”

Following the parliamentary decisions, this is now a matter for the government.

From a consumer perspective, it’s welcome that Switzerland is scrutinizing foreign platforms like Temu more closely. However, there’s also a need for action within Switzerland itself.

According to the federal inspectorate of electrical goods, a quarter of electrical products in Swiss stores also have defects – and unlike Temu and similar platforms, there’s no wave of complaints about these.

Adapted from German by AI/mga

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