Temu considers joining European anti-counterfeit group

By Helen Reid LONDON, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Chinese online retailer Temu is considering joining a group of ecommerce platforms and brands that collaborate to prevent the sale of fake products online in Europe, according to a meeting agenda seen by Reuters. The “Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the sale of counterfeit goods on the internet” is a voluntary agreement facilitated by the European Commission, and signatories include online retailers Amazon, Alibaba, and eBay, and brands like Adidas, Nike, Hermes and Moncler. Temu is set to make a presentation at a Nov. 11 meeting of the MoU members as a “potential new signatory”, the agenda note showed. Temu did not reply to a request for comment on the document. A European Commission spokesperson did not reply to a request for comment. Temu’s engagement with the anti-counterfeits network comes as European Union authorities ramp up pressure on Temu to improve its controls on products sold to European shoppers on its marketplace and ensure illegal or unsafe items do not enter the bloc. Temu, a subsidiary of Chinese ecommerce giant PDD Holdings, has grown rapidly in Europe and the United States through aggressive marketing, drawing millions of users to its website and app with the slogan “shop like a billionaire”, offering rock-bottom prices on everything from kitchen appliances and electronics to clothing and accessories. Many of the clothes, shoes, and handbags sold on the site are designed to look similar to popular branded products, at a fraction of the price. An industry source, who asked not to be named, said they were concerned that accepting Temu’s signature to the MoU would affect the credibility of the network. After its average monthly users in the EU hit 75 million earlier this year, the European Commission designated Temu a “very large online platform”, meaning it must do more to fight illegal and harmful content as well as counterfeit products on its platform under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA). Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday that the Commission was set to launch an investigation into Temu over whether it is in breach of the DSA. The report came after the Commission earlier this month requested information from Temu on the steps it is taking to prevent illegal products being sold on its platform. Temu had to provide the information by Oct. 21 and the Commission at the time said it would “determine the next steps” after assessing Temu’s responses.