Makeup, tools, or clothing. Shopping in China – online – is quickly becoming more popular. Last year, the Dutch apparently placed nearly 9 million orders in Chinese web stores Preparation From the trade organization Thuiswinkel.org.

This represents an increase of 39 percent. This is remarkable, because Chinese online stores have been less popular for years. This is because small orders have become more expensive since 2021. Since that year, VAT also had to be paid on orders worth less than 22 euros.

Previously, AliExpress was the most popular online store, but now online clothing store Shein and online department store Temu have been added. Last year, the latter offered discounts and sometimes free items to attract new customers. This way you can earn points for things by watching videos and playing games.

In the last quarter, China was the most popular country among the Dutch for cross-border online shopping. This means that China has overtaken Germany. Germany remained more popular throughout 2023.

Thuiswinkel.org is concerned. “These types of parties are entering the market at an astonishing pace, without adhering to specific laws and regulations,” says Marilyn ten Ham, director of Thuiswinkel.org. Norwegian Refugee Council. It hopes that European regulations will, among other things, make companies more transparent about the origin of their products.