EU Commission accuses Temu of obstructing Dublin inspection

The European Commission has formally accused the Chinese online retailer Temu of failing to cooperate during a surprise inspection of its European headquarters in Dublin last December, escalating a separate investigation into whether the company benefits from distortive foreign subsidies. The Commission announced the preliminary finding on July 31, 2026, stating that Temu obstructed the inspection by withholding basic information.

The unannounced inspection took place between December 2 and December 5, 2025, at the Dublin premises of WhaleCo Technology, a subsidiary of Temu's parent company, PDD Holdings. The inspection was conducted under the EU's Foreign Subsidies Regulation, which aims to prevent unfair competition from non-EU companies receiving government support. The Commission stated that Temu failed to comply with routine requests for information concerning the organization and management of its EU operations, the IT systems it uses, and specific corporate books and records. Officials said the withheld information prevented them from reviewing sources potentially relevant to the underlying subsidy investigation.

Temu has rejected the allegation. In a statement, the...