The value of sales made in Poland by Chinese e-commerce platforms from October 2024 to September 2025 could amount to approximately PLN 11.6 billion – estimate KPMG and the Chamber of Electronic Commerce. According to the deputy head of the Ministry of Energy and Technology, Michał Jaros, the activities of non-EU platforms violate the principles of equal competition.
– The free market means the same rules for everyone. Those who enter the market should follow these rules, also in the process of producing goods that are sold in the EU. I have the impression that we are not dealing with equal competition, but with competition that is beyond the state's control, and ultimately will lead to a situation in which as consumers we will not have the right to choose, but will have to choose between non-European platforms – said on Tuesday the deputy head of the Ministry of Development and Technology, Michał Jaros, during a conference on the presentation of the report “Chinese e-commerce platforms and the Polish economy” prepared by the Electronic Economy Chamber (e-Izba) and KPMG.
Jaros noted that the import of cheap products that do not meet European quality and safety standards and are sold through non-EU platforms is increasing “month by month”. In his opinion, this disturbs the competitiveness and stability of the internal market. He added that the Polish administration has been trying for over 2 years to ensure that this problem is treated “with due seriousness at the EU forum.”
– The data and analyzes we receive from the market clearly show that Polish entrepreneurs incur increasing costs of operating in the e-commerce ecosystem. What I mean here are issues related to the promotion of your own products. We take these signals very seriously and they led to the intensification of work at the EU level, which Poland actively supports, such as the initiative on fast fashion (regulations aimed at reducing textile waste – PAP), tightening import controls and strengthening the authorities responsible for market surveillance – said the deputy head of the Ministry of Energy and Technology.
He also recalled that Poland was among the countries that appealed to the EC for faster implementation of appropriate measures “so that the protection of European entrepreneurs is not just a declaration.”
– We do not want declarations, but specific actions and blocking unfair competition – emphasized Jaros.
According to information provided by the president of the Chamber of Electronic Commerce, Patrycja Sass-Staniszewska, Polish e-commerce reached an annual value of PLN 150 billion in 2024. The share of Chinese trading platforms is estimated at 6 to 11 percent, and – as the president of the Chamber noted – “it is growing very dynamically.” In turn, the entire EU market in 2024 received 4.6 billion parcels with a declared value not exceeding EUR 150, which means an average of 12 million such parcels a day.
Sass-Staniszewska emphasized that Polish companies have in recent years incurred huge costs related to adapting to changes in European regulations, including the GDPR regulation, the DAC7 directive and the Omnibus package.
– These are costs of PLN 171.5 billion. Meanwhile, some global platforms from outside the EU operate outside this system, thus gaining a legal advantage, she emphasized.
Sass-Staniszewska noted that “false promotions, false opinions, lack of customs transparency” are the operating model of these platforms, which is confirmed by ongoing proceedings conducted, among others, by the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection, but also at the EU level by the European Commission. In turn, tax and customs irregularities, underestimation of the value of shipments and non-payment of VAT by non-EU platforms cause losses estimated at EUR 3.8 billion annually in the EU – she added.
In the opinion of the President of the Chamber, it is necessary to implement into Polish law the solutions indicated, among others, in the CPC regulation (on cooperation between bodies responsible for enforcing consumer protection law – PAP). Sass-Staniszewska pointed out that they make it possible to block the interface of a platform that does not comply with the rules or display appropriate warnings to consumers.
– The effectiveness of these mechanisms is shown by the example of France, where on November 5 this year. the government announced the initiation of the procedure to suspend the operations of the Shein platform until it demonstrates full compliance with French law, Sass-Staniszewska said.
In the opinion of the president of e-Chamber, it is also necessary to implement the Digital Services Act. Sass-Staniszewska noted that Poland is the only EU country without a coordinator for digital services, “which deepens uncertainty and inequality of competition.”
The Chamber of Electronic Commerce also analyzes the effectiveness of the possible introduction of national instruments that are intended to equalize competition, including: solutions such as a handling or environmental fee, the aim of which would be to “fairly distribute costs among all market participants”.
According to the report by e-Izba and KPMG, the forecast value of this year's sales in Polish online retail will reach over PLN 166 billion.of which PLN 29.7 billion will go to household appliances and electronics, PLN 18.2 billion to clothing, PLN 12.7 billion to home products, PLN 9 billion, PLN 8.4 billion to health and beauty, and PLN 70 billion to other products.
The value of sales made on the Polish market via Chinese e-commerce platforms in the period estimated by the authors of the report from October 2024 to September 2025 could amount to approximately PLN 11.6 billion, which corresponds to annual consumer spending of approximately PLN 510,000. Poles. The total number of parcels that reached Polish customers from China at that time is estimated at approximately 100 million.
The number of users of the three largest Chinese platforms in Poland was estimated at approximately 17.3 million people. In the last 6 months, every second adult Pole made a purchase through them.
EU finance ministers have agreed to temporarily impose customs duties of €3 on small parcels containing products worth up to €150 sent to the EU from third countries. The tariffs will enter into force on July 1, 2026. and will remain in force until the EU adopts regulations abolishing customs relief for goods entering the EU. (PAP)
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