Ireland's EU Commissioner Michael McGrath will visit China this week to meet senior government figures to discuss the protection of EU consumers.
The visit comes amid concerns about the volumes of potentially dangerous products entering Europe from China amidst a boom in low-value e-commerce purchases.
The trip comes after tensions eased between the EU and China over Beijing's export controls on rare earth and other critical minerals, as well as the supply of semi-conductors, which have disrupted European supply chains, particularly in the automotive sector.
On Saturday, the EU's trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič said China had confirmed that the suspension of its export controls on rare earths, as a result of the meeting last week between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump, would extend to exports of critical minerals to the EU.
China also said it would exempt some Nexperia chips from an export ban, after the Dutch government took control of the Netherlands-based chipmaker last month.
That move was prompted by the US expanding its export blacklist to include Nexperia, whose owner is Chinese.
China retaliated by placing restrictions on shipments of Nexperia's finished products, 80% of which are processed in China.
EU and Chinese officials held talks in Brussels on Friday covering export controls including rare earths and Nexperia.
The reduced flow of Chinese-made semiconductors has hit European carmakers such as Volkswagen, which warned that its chip supplies - required in everything from windscreen wipers to indicators - would run out next week.
Commissioner McGrath's visit follows an EU-China Summit in July 2025, where both sides committed to maintain open communications in order to ensure economic stability and growth.
McGrath seeking to strengthen consumer protection
During his visit, Mr McGrath - the EU commissioner for democracy, rule of law and consumer protection - will seek to strengthen cooperation in consumer protection and product safety in light of the huge expansion in e-commerce, with 4.6 billion low-value parcels entering the EU from China last year - roughly 12 million per day, a number which continues to rise, according to the statement.
Mr McGrath will meet Luo Wen, Minister of the State Administration for Market Regulation, and Zhao Zenglian, Vice Minister of the General Administration of Customs (GACC).
He is expected to tell his interlocutors that around half of the products entering the EU and notified as "dangerous" originated in China.
"In 2024, an estimated 91% of all low-value e-Commerce shipments entering the EU originated from China, a figure that has more than doubled in one year.
"According to the EU's 2024 Safety Gate report for dangerous non-food products, around half of the products notified as dangerous originated from China. Strengthening cooperation with the Chinese authorities is, therefore, vital to ensure the safety of products reaching consumers in both markets," the statement said.
Mr McGrath is also hoping to meet Li Mingzheng, Vice-Minister and Party Group Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, to discuss ways the EU and China can strengthen judicial cooperation in criminal, civil and commercial matters.
The commissioner will also meet Chinese and European business stakeholders at the Final Forum of the SPEAC II (EU funded training project on Safe non-food Consumer Products in the EU and China) project, where he will deliver a speech on EU consumer protection in the age of e-commerce.
Digital Business Ireland has said that Ireland has the highest rate of online shopping in Europe with a large proportion of goods originating outside the EU.
Chairperson Caroline Dunlea said: "Commissioner McGrath's visit to China underlines the growing concerns across Europe about the safety of products entering the EU, particularly batteries and other electrical goods purchased through low-value e-commerce channels.
"As the commissioner highlighted, 4.6 billion low-value parcels entered the EU from China last year - roughly 12 million every day - a number which continues to rise. Irish retailers are already carrying the cost of recycling many of these faulty or poor-quality items from overseas, while large platforms continue to 'free-ride' by avoiding their environmental obligations."
She said that with the latest e-commerce report showing that 40% of Irish online purchases originated outside, some 80% of the public share concerns about the volume of online purchases entering Ireland, "including product safety, quality, sustainability and health risks.
"Stricter enforcement on overseas sellers is urgently needed to protect consumers, ensure product safety, and deliver fairness for compliant Irish retailers."
