The chief executive of Poland’s largest online marketplace, Allegro, has urged the European Union to impose stricter rules on Chinese ecommerce platforms, warning that unchecked growth by companies such as Temu and Shein could overwhelm European businesses.
In an interview with the Financial Times, Marcin Kuśmierz, Allegro’s CEO since May, said Chinese retailers were significantly increasing marketing spending across Poland and Europe, particularly after scaling back investment in the United States due to new tariffs and regulatory changes. He cautioned that this trend could intensify if US-China trade tensions escalate further.
“Europe has to realise the underlying threat behind a possible tariff war between the US and China,” Kuśmierz said. “Chinese retailers may relocate resources here, flooding Europe with goods. Smaller European companies will suffer, and many of them may not survive the Chinese competition.”
Shift from US to Europe
The shift follows recent US measures under President Donald Trump, including higher tariffs on Chinese goods and the closure of a tax loophole that allowed low-cost parcels to enter the American market cheaply. This policy also prompted postal services in more than a dozen other countries to halt low-cost parcel shipments to the US.
As a result, Temu’s monthly active users in the US dropped by an average of 35 per cent between April and August, according to Sensor Tower data. Over the same period, Temu’s user base in Europe surged — with growth of up to 70 per cent in France and 50 per cent in Germany.
Shein has maintained higher advertising spending in the US, with a modest 2 per cent increase in its user base there. However, it also expanded in Europe, recording 15 per cent growth in Germany and 10 per cent in France.
Temu declined to comment on the issue. Shein, meanwhile, dismissed claims of benefiting from unfair competition rules as “baseless allegations made in bad faith,” adding that it would continue investing in Poland and complying with EU regulations.
EU’s Regulatory Response
The European Commission has already opened a preliminary investigation into Temu, finding that the platform was selling some illegal products. Brussels is pushing for reforms, including ending the import duty exemption for parcels worth under €150, a measure seen as critical to closing loopholes used by overseas sellers.
“The sheer amount of ecommerce imports is putting increasing pressure on customs authorities,” the Commission noted, highlighting that online purchases now account for over 97 per cent of all customs declarations.
Allegro’s Position and Market Performance
Despite Temu overtaking Allegro earlier this year as Poland’s most visited online platform, Kuśmierz stressed that traffic did not necessarily translate into sales. He said Allegro continued to record strong revenue growth and reassured investors that upcoming second-quarter results would be positive.
Allegro’s share price has risen by about 40 per cent in 2025, reaching 37 zlotys, though still below its 2020 IPO price of 43 zlotys — the largest flotation in Polish history at the time. Founded 25 years ago, Allegro now serves more than 20 million active users across Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary.
Next Steps
Kuśmierz plans to travel to Brussels for talks with EU technology, trade, and competition officials. Allegro is lobbying for tighter product safety standards, particularly on imports such as toys, and for the removal of customs exemptions for low-value shipments.
While Kuśmierz acknowledged that US tariffs could indirectly benefit European ecommerce companies by raising global prices, he stressed that protectionism carries risks. “Tariffs could boost the industry overall,” he noted, “but they also create uncertainty, which is not good for business.”
