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EU Commission accuses Temu of obstructing subsidy investigation
The European Commission has issued a Statement of Grounds to PDD Holdings and its Irish subsidiary WhaleCo Technology Ltd, alleging that the Chinese e‑commerce platform Temu obstructed an unannounced inspection in Dublin from 2 to 5 December 2025. The Commission says Temu failed to provide basic information on its EU organisation, management, IT systems and specific corporate books, hindering the probe into possible foreign subsidies that could distort the EU internal market. If the preliminary findings are confirmed, the Commission can impose a fine of up to 1 % of Temu’s total turnover in the preceding year.
The case follows earlier enforcement actions: a €200 million fine in May 2025 for illegal products under the Digital Services Act and a further €200 million penalty in May 2026. The Commission notes that Temu serves about 130 million customers in the EU and operates through PDD Holdings’ subsidiary WhaleCo. Temu has denied the accusations, claiming full cooperation with the inspectors and stating it has received no foreign subsidies.
The investigation under the EU’s Foreign Subsidies Regulation remains ongoing.
Entities
Dublin, Ireland · European Commission · Ireland · Ireland (Dublin) · PDD Holdings · PDD Holdings Inc. · Temu · WhaleCo · WhaleCo Technology Limited
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [DISPUTED] Temu obstructed the investigation by not providing certain business books and documents. www.leinetal24.de · www.volksfreund.de · www.zeit.de · www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de · www.fehmarn24.de
- [● 5 SOURCES] The Commission planned unannounced inspections of PDD and its subsidiary WhaleCo in Dublin in early December 2025. www.leinetal24.de · www.volksfreund.de · www.zeit.de · www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de · www.fehmarn24.de
- [● 19 SOURCES] The Commission is investigating whether Temu received foreign subsidies that could distort the EU internal market. www.leinetal24.de · www.volksfreund.de · www.zeit.de · www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de · information.tv5monde.com · +14 more
- [● 5 SOURCES] Temu operates in the EU through PDD's subsidiary WhaleCo. www.leinetal24.de · www.volksfreund.de · www.zeit.de · www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de · www.fehmarn24.de
- [● 18 SOURCES] Temu has about 130 million customers in Europe and is among the largest online retailers in Germany. www.leinetal24.de · www.volksfreund.de · www.zeit.de · www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de · www.fehmarn24.de · +13 more
- [● 17 SOURCES] In May 2025 the Commission fined Temu €200 million for illegal products on its marketplace. www.leinetal24.de · www.volksfreund.de · www.zeit.de · www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de · www.fehmarn24.de · +12 more
- [● 19 SOURCES] If confirmed, the Commission can impose a fine of up to one percent of Temu's total revenue from the previous business year. www.leinetal24.de · www.volksfreund.de · www.zeit.de · www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de · www.fehmarn24.de · +14 more
- [● 4 SOURCES] The European Commission says Temu violates EU competition law. www.leinetal24.de · www.volksfreund.de · www.zeit.de · www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de
- [DISPUTED] Temu denies the EU’s accusations, stating it fully cooperated with the inspection and did not receive any unfair foreign subsidies. www.20minutos.es · haber.doviz.com · www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de · www.economica.net · www.fehmarn24.de · +14 more
- [DISPUTED] The Commission preliminarily finds that Temu infringed its duty to actively cooperate during the inspection. www.20minutos.es · haber.doviz.com · www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de · www.economica.net · www.fehmarn24.de · +14 more
- [● 19 SOURCES] The European Commission carried out surprise inspections at WhaleCo premises in Dublin between 2 and 5 December 2025. www.20minutos.es · haber.doviz.com · www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de · www.economica.net · www.fehmarn24.de · +14 more
- [DISPUTED] Temu did not provide information on its EU organisation, management, IT tools, and specific books and records as requested by the Commission. www.20minutos.es · haber.doviz.com · www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de · www.economica.net · www.fehmarn24.de · +14 more