To The Moon

On July 22nd, China's Ministry of Commerce issued a response regarding the European Commission's decision to impose a fine on AliExpress.

The spokesperson for the Ministry stated that China has taken note of the situation and expresses strong dissatisfaction and serious concern.

The Chinese side firmly opposes the EU's use of platform regulation as a pretext to erect digital barriers and implement discriminatory measures that restrict and suppress the normal operations of Chinese e-commerce enterprises in Europe.

China urges the EU to cease exploiting ambiguities in legal provisions to abuse discretionary power and to treat Chinese companies fairly and justly.

China will firmly support Chinese enterprises in using legal means to protect their rights and will take resolute measures to safeguard their interests.

On July 20th, the European Commission imposed a fine of €550 million (approximately RMB 4.25 billion) on AliExpress for failing to fulfill its obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA), specifically by not conducting a diligent assessment and mitigation of risks related to the sale of illegal, unsafe, or counterfeit products on its e-commerce platform.

Additionally, the Commission ordered the platform to implement corrective measures.

Beyond the fine, under the DSA requirements, AliExpress must submit a remediation plan to the European Commission by October 20, 2026, detailing how it will address previous violations in systemic risk assessment and prevention.

After receiving the plan, the European Board for Digital Services will provide feedback within one month.

Subsequently, the European Commission will take another month to issue a final ruling and establish a compliance deadline.

Failure by AliExpress to comply with this ruling could result in the imposition of periodic penalty payments.

A spokesperson for AliExpress responded to the matter overseas, stating, "We disagree with the decision and the disproportionate fine, which does not adequately reflect our existing framework and the significant, proactive improvements we have already made."

The spokesperson added that the company is assessing the decision and will consider its options.

Public information shows that AliExpress is a cross-border e-commerce platform under Alibaba Group. According to its fiscal year 2026 report, it falls under the retail segment within Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group.

As of March 31, 2026, AliExpress serves over 200 countries and regions worldwide.