German media: Turkey conducts surprise inspection of Temu offices

The Turkish competition authority conducted a surprise inspection of Temu's local office. Previously, Temu's European headquarters also faced similar investigations, and these actions show that the platform is facing an increasingly severe regulatory storm globally.

The Turkish Competition Authority conducted a surprise inspection of Temu's office in Istanbul on Wednesday, January 21. A Temu spokesperson confirmed to Reuters that the company is cooperating fully with Turkish authorities, revealing that investigators took away laptops and desktop computers during the inspection.

Temu stated on LinkedIn last year that it had registered a local physical store and established an office in Istanbul.

The Turkish Competition Agency said it has indeed conducted a "on-site inspection" of Temu, which does "not mean the initiation of a formal investigation." Additionally, they denied Temu's claim about the seizure of equipment, stating that it was "not in line with the facts."

The agency also said, "At this stage, it is not possible to disclose more information to ensure the smooth progress of the current investigation."

Regulatory measures against Temu are ongoing

The Turkish government abolished the tax-free system for imports under 30 euros at the beginning of this month, citing the aim to protect local production and competition. This policy will take effect in early February. The EU has also started to impose a 3 euro tariff on small packages.

The inspection in Turkey is not an isolated incident. Recently, Irish regulators also carried out similar enforcement actions against Temu's European headquarters in Dublin.

In Europe, the main concern of regulatory authorities is whether Temu may benefit from unfair subsidies. Temu sells a wide range of products, from clothing to smartphones, at extremely low prices worldwide. Its parent company is Pinduoduo, a Chinese e-commerce giant (PDD Holdings). As Temu rapidly expands in global markets, its "extremely low price strategy" has drawn attention from regulatory authorities in multiple countries regarding its competitive behavior, sources of subsidies, and data security.

Source: DW

Original: toutiao.com/article/1854941701083212/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.