China Defends Shein and Temu Amid Colombian Business Criticism - ColombiaOne.com

ColombiaOne.com Colombia News China Defends Shein and Temu Amid Colombian Business Criticism China Defends Shein and Temu Amid Colombian Business Criticism By Josep Freixes - September 4, 2026 Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... China defended Shein and Temu in Colombia against criticism from business leaders over alleged unfair competition. Credit: Focal Foto, CC BY-NC 2.0 / Flickr. The growing presence of Chinese e-commerce platforms such as Shein and Temu in Colombia has opened a new front in the debate between business leaders and authorities. While representatives of the productive sector are questioning the conditions under which these companies compete in the domestic market, China has defended their business model and called for an analysis of the reasons behind their success before dismissing it. The position was expressed by Zhu Jingyang, China’s ambassador to Colombia, during the National Exporters Congress organized by Analdex, which is being held in Cartagena. His comments came after business leaders called for greater oversight of cross-border sales conducted through these platforms and warned of potential unfair competition practices. China defends Shein and Temu amid Colombian business criticism Zhu defended the international growth of Shein and Temu and argued that their expansion should be understood within the rules of the market. For the diplomat, rather than directly questioning these business models, Colombian business leaders should examine what explains their ability to attract consumers and compete with low prices. “Denigrating these models instead of investigating why they have been so successful is not a sign of cognitive maturity,” the ambassador said during the business gathering. The Chinese representative added that “the growth and expansion of these e-commerce platforms can be explained by the rules of the market.” Zhu added that those seeking to expand their businesses should observe their competitors and adopt practices that have proven successful. “For any businessperson who wants to expand their business, they should learn from their competitors and, whenever possible, adopt and copy their success instead of discrediting it,” he said. The diplomat , however, acknowledged that the platforms’ business model does not benefit all market participants equally. He admitted that it can create advantages for some players and difficulties for others, and said that this situation also represents a challenge for governments responsible for establishing competition rules. Finally, he said that it is the authorities’ responsibility to regulate the rules governing the market and competition. “The government’s role is therefore to regulate and make changes in a timely manner to correct any errors in the rules governing competition and the market,” he said. Although there are no specific sales figures for Colombia, Temu and Shein ship more than two million packages to Colombia each month. Credit: Focal Foto, CC BY-NC 2.0 / Flickr. Business leaders call for greater oversight The comments came in the same setting where Analdex criticized the impact of e-commerce platforms on companies operating within the formal economy. Ronald Bakalarz, chairman of Analdex’s board of directors, called on authorities, particularly the National Tax and Customs Authority ( DIAN ), to strengthen oversight of cross-border e-commerce. The business association believes that the growth of platforms such as Shein and Temu may be associated with illegal activity and unfair competition. One of the central issues in the debate is the use of small shipments to send products directly from China to Colombian consumers. Business leaders argue that this mechanism can create different conditions from those faced by domestic companies, which must bear costs, pay taxes and comply with regulatory obligations within the country. Analdex maintains that authorities should use information and technology to improve oversight of these transactions and ensure more balanced conditions for the different participants in the market. The debate over Shein and Temu also comes at a time of growing economic interest from China in Colombia. Companies from the Asian country are evaluating investment and local production opportunities — an interest acknowledged by Chinese representatives in Colombia — while Bogota seeks to expand its trade relations and attract foreign capital, as President De la Espriella himself acknowledged this week. The clash of positions at the Analdex Congress has thus raised a debate that will go beyond these two platforms: how to take advantage of the benefits of international e-commerce without allowing regulatory differences to ultimately harm Colombian producers and merchants. See all the latest news from Colombia and the world at ColombiaOne.com . Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow ColombiaOne on Google News, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and subscribe here to our newsletter. Facebook X WhatsApp Linkedin Copy URL Filed under: Colombia News Economy News feed Politics Tags Colombia Colombia China relations Colombia e-commerce Shein Temu THE LATEST IN YOUR INBOX! MORE NEWS FROM COLOMBIA China Says New Investments in Colombia Depend on De la Espriella Colombia Probes Reported Death of Caribbean Armed Group Leader ‘Bendito Menor’ Motorcyclist Crashes Into Bus and Ends Up Inside Vehicle in Buga, Southern Colombia