The EU’s $600 Million Fine on AliExpress Isn’t About Safety. It’s About Protecting European Retailers from You.
The EU fined AliExpress a record €550M for allowing illegal products. But the real story isn’t consumer safety—it’s a protectionist move to shield European retailers from Chinese e-commerce platforms that are winning on price and speed. The fine is a non-tariff barrier dressed in regulation, and it signals the end of the unregulated global e-commerce era.