Chinese fast fashion giant Temu has joined the International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition’s (IACC) newly launched council to enhance collaboration to tackle counterfeit goods.

The Marketplace Advisory Council (MAC) is a cross-industry forum that includes leading online marketplaces, payment providers and global brands, and is aimed at setting a new standard for cooperation.

Other members of the council include Amazon, Apple, Chanel, Nike, eBay, Mastercard and Disney.

The low-cost retailer has also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the IACC to strengthen collaboration on IP protection and expand efforts to combat online counterfeiting.

The MoU was signed during the IACC’s 2025 annual conference in San Diego, which was held from 14-16 May. 

Bob Barchiesi, IACC president, said: “We’re pleased to welcome Temu as an inaugural member of the Marketplace Advisory Council and as a key partner in our shared fight against counterfeiting.

“The IACC created the MAC to bring stakeholders together in a way that drives real, sustained impact – and Temu’s participation helps strengthen that vision.”

A Temu spokesperson commented: “Joining this coalition underscores Temu’s commitment to building a trustworthy online marketplace. We look forward to collaborating with other industry leaders to create a powerful, collective force against the sale of illegal goods online.”

Temu said that it has invested heavily in intellectual property enforcement. Some of the measures include comprehensive seller vetting and compliance training, “round-the-clock algorithmic monitoring” supported by manual review and a dedicated IP protection portal and brand registry for streamlined takedown submission.

European Commission

The Chinese e-commerce website was formed in 2022. Its low prices on an array of products have gained it a loyal fanbase, but its surging international popularity has also prompted scrutiny.

In October, the European Commission opened formal proceedings to assess whether Temu may have breached the Digital Services Act (DSA) and examine whether Temu has systems in place to prevent the “sale of non-compliant products in the European Union”.

Among other factors, it is assessing the “addictive design” of the service, how Temu recommends content and products to users, and its compliance with the DSA obligation to give researchers access to Temu’s publicly accessible data.

Meanwhile, this week the EU proposed plans to introduce a €2 flat fee on billions of low-value parcels that come to EU households mainly from China. EU Trade Commissioner Maros Šefčovič told the European Parliament that e-commerce retailers would be expected to pay the fee.

He said that in 2024, 4.6bn such parcels entered the EU, with more than 90% coming from China. Recent figures confirm the upward trend is continuing. 

The move is likely to affect both Temu and its Chinese rival Shein, given their strong presence in the EU and global markets.

This development follows similar efforts by the US who are tackling the issue by dismantling its ‘de minimus’ regime, which allowed low-value packages to be shipped into the country without paying any import fees.