The European Commission sent a statement of objections on Friday 31 July to Chinese e-commerce giant Temu and its subsidiary WhaleCo, citing possible obstruction during an inspection carried out under the Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR).
The procedure follows an unannounced inspection carried out from 2 to 5 December 2025 at the premises of WhaleCo in Ireland, after the Commission identified suspicions of foreign subsidies likely to have distorted competition within the single market. The operation was aimed at gathering evidence as part of its investigation into public aid from which Temu may have benefited.
At a preliminary stage, the institution considers that Temu did not respond to several requests for information, relating in particular to the organisation of its activities in the EU, its IT systems, as well as the provision of specific books and records on the company’s activities in the EU. The Commission stresses that these requests are standard elements of its investigations and that their absence limited its ability to examine potentially relevant sources. (Original version in French by Juliette Verdes)