WEBVTT 00:00:00.670 --> 00:00:02.520 00:00:03.950 --> 00:00:05.460 Shop like a billionaire. 00:00:05.470 --> 00:00:08.860 That's what Chinese online platform Temu promises. 00:00:09.190 --> 00:00:13.413 Platforms like Temu, Alibaba and Shein are making inroads 00:00:13.413 --> 00:00:15.300 into the European market. 00:00:15.310 --> 00:00:18.220 Their rock bottom prices are drawing customers in. 00:00:18.230 --> 00:00:20.596 Whether the quality or safety checks out, 00:00:20.596 --> 00:00:22.930 many choose to look the other way. 00:00:24.200 --> 00:00:26.980 We feel good when we order something that's cheap. 00:00:27.560 --> 00:00:29.660 It triggers what we call a reward. 00:00:29.680 --> 00:00:33.400 It gives us a sense of joy and that makes us want to keep doing it. 00:00:36.600 --> 00:00:39.760 The flood of cheap products from Asia is putting pressure 00:00:39.760 --> 00:00:41.770 on German manufacturers. 00:00:41.950 --> 00:00:43.409 One of them is Zwilling, 00:00:43.409 --> 00:00:47.060 a Zolingan based company known for its high quality knives. 00:00:47.070 --> 00:00:48.620 What concerns the most? 00:00:48.630 --> 00:00:51.828 The flood of knockoffs from China and Hong Kong 00:00:51.828 --> 00:00:54.160 sold via Chinese online platforms. 00:00:56.110 --> 00:00:57.571 We have major problems 00:00:57.571 --> 00:00:59.430 with counterfeits worldwide. 00:00:59.430 --> 00:01:01.339 Zwilling is a well known brand 00:01:01.339 --> 00:01:03.630 and protected in over 100 countries. 00:01:03.790 --> 00:01:08.039 We can take effective legal action against fakes using the Zwilling trademark, 00:01:08.039 --> 00:01:10.980 but the number of counterfeits has risen dramatically 00:01:10.990 --> 00:01:12.530 in recent years. 00:01:12.990 --> 00:01:18.060 Cheap knockoffs of trusted brands often available for just a few EURs 00:01:18.069 --> 00:01:21.670 You can always spot a fake by all the plastic and poor quality. 00:01:22.400 --> 00:01:24.677 Here we've got really cheap knockoff forks, 00:01:24.677 --> 00:01:26.160 even with the Zwilling logo. 00:01:26.590 --> 00:01:29.050 And you can actually bend them by hand. 00:01:30.440 --> 00:01:34.712 Knockoffs and originals are on display at a museum in Zolingan 00:01:34.712 --> 00:01:36.470 to mock product piracy. 00:01:36.480 --> 00:01:38.848 German industry awards the plagiaros, 00:01:38.848 --> 00:01:41.610 a tongue in cheek twist on plagiarism. 00:01:43.750 --> 00:01:48.030 Custom seizures and product testing show that more than 85% of products 00:01:48.030 --> 00:01:51.470 shipped to Europe from third countries via these cheap platforms 00:01:51.470 --> 00:01:53.290 are not EU compliant. 00:01:54.063 --> 00:01:57.693 That means they don't meet regulations for Product Safety, 00:01:57.693 --> 00:02:00.510 Environmental Protection or consumer rights. 00:02:00.550 --> 00:02:01.938 But what it really means is 00:02:01.938 --> 00:02:04.250 they shouldn't even be on our markets at all. 00:02:05.760 --> 00:02:10.104 And yet the European Union has so far stood by seemingly powerless 00:02:10.304 --> 00:02:13.921 Chinese sellers can ship goods to Europe duty free 00:02:13.921 --> 00:02:16.120 as long as they're under €150. 00:02:16.120 --> 00:02:20.560 Last year, 4.6 billion parcels arrived this way. 00:02:20.600 --> 00:02:24.293 That's twice as many as in 2023. 00:02:25.660 --> 00:02:27.960 Our demand to policymakers is clear. 00:02:28.040 --> 00:02:31.910 Scrap the €150 duty free limit as soon as possible. 00:02:32.320 --> 00:02:34.419 That would be an important first step. 00:02:34.530 --> 00:02:38.780 Second, customs authorities need far better staffing and technical equipment 00:02:38.780 --> 00:02:41.185 so they can inspect more incoming packages 00:02:41.185 --> 00:02:44.419 from third countries and penalise violations. 00:02:46.200 --> 00:02:49.249 Customs are often overwhelmed by the sheer volume 00:02:49.249 --> 00:02:50.680 at Dusseldorf airport. 00:02:50.720 --> 00:02:52.470 Officers rely on spot checks. 00:02:52.480 --> 00:02:55.260 There simply aren't enough staff for more. 00:02:56.430 --> 00:02:59.460 This shipment behind me has everything. 00:02:59.470 --> 00:03:04.430 Clothing, fake T-shirts, counterfeit bags, fake backpacks, shoes, and 00:03:04.430 --> 00:03:05.580 cell phone cases. 00:03:05.590 --> 00:03:08.710 We even found fake Legos. 00:03:09.400 --> 00:03:12.919 Most of the packages are transported on passenger planes. 00:03:12.919 --> 00:03:17.760 How many of them contain counterfeits or can even meet EU safety standards? 00:03:17.840 --> 00:03:19.990 Authorities can hardly keep up. 00:03:20.000 --> 00:03:21.910 Unlike their Asian competitors, 00:03:21.910 --> 00:03:25.310 German online retailers have to follow EU laws. 00:03:25.320 --> 00:03:26.887 That means no knockoffs 00:03:26.887 --> 00:03:29.760 and nothing potentially hazardous to health. 00:03:32.223 --> 00:03:34.258 What's unfair is that German retailers 00:03:34.258 --> 00:03:36.240 have to comply with every law, 00:03:36.245 --> 00:03:37.921 from packaging regulations 00:03:37.921 --> 00:03:39.411 to electronics recycling 00:03:39.411 --> 00:03:41.262 and many smaller requirements 00:03:41.262 --> 00:03:43.170 which cost money to implement. 00:03:43.330 --> 00:03:46.470 Sellers from Asia simply don't follow those rules. 00:03:49.040 --> 00:03:50.540 The EU has announced plans 00:03:50.540 --> 00:03:52.929 to crack down harder on Chinese platforms 00:03:52.929 --> 00:03:54.186 in the coming months 00:03:54.186 --> 00:03:56.946 and to hold them accountable for the products, 00:03:56.946 --> 00:04:00.000 both real and fake, that they bring into Europe.