Editor’s Note
**Editor’s Note:** The EU has levied a record €550 million fine on AliExpress for selling unsafe products, underscoring heightened regulatory scrutiny on global e-commerce platforms.
On July 20, the European Union imposed a fine of 630 million USD on the Chinese e-commerce platform AliExpress after it was found that the online retail platform was selling unsafe products.
VietnamPlus
• 20/07/2026
On July 20, the European Union imposed a fine of 550 million euros (630 million USD) on the Chinese e-commerce platform AliExpress after the online retail platform traded illegal products, including unsafe toys and cosmetics.
According to the EU, AliExpress failed in its responsibility to prevent the sale of counterfeit goods. When the platform detected illegal goods, many of them remained on sale for several weeks.
In an investigation conducted by the EU in March 2024 regarding AliExpress, it was found that some products sold on the platform do not meet the EU’s strict safety and environmental standards.
— Henna Virkkunen, EU Commissioner for Technology, Security, and Democracy
The EU announced that the fines are imposed based on the severity of the violations, their impact on European citizens, and their duration. Under the EU penalty, AliExpress must pay the fine and submit a plan to address the violations by October 20. In case of non-compliance, the platform will face recurring fines.
This is the largest fine ever imposed under the EU’s Digital Services Act, which is part of the Union’s legal arsenal to regulate big tech companies and came into effect in 2022.
For its part, AliExpress considers the fine “disproportionate” and believes it does not fully reflect the established framework and the substantial changes it has made to address this issue. AliExpress is currently considering “all available options.”
AliExpress is the largest Chinese e-commerce platform in the EU, with 193 million users. According to a senior European official, the EU is also AliExpress’s largest market.
The Digital Services Act stipulates that the world’s most popular digital platforms, including social networks and online retailers, must assess the risks they may pose and implement measures to address those threats.
Previously, the EU imposed a fine of 120 million euros on Elon Musk’s social media platform X last December, and a fine of 200 million euros on Chinese e-commerce giant Temu last May.