Alicia Kearns urged Parliament to investigate JD.com’s UK launch under the Joybuy brand and its €2.2bn Ceconomy bid over alleged Chinese state subsidies and unfair competition. The Treasury will move the £135 de minimis import duty exemption forward to October 2028, increasing costs for overseas retailers.
Shadow national security minister Alicia Kearns has called for a parliamentary investigation into JD.com’s recent UK launch under the Joybuy brand, citing concerns that Chinese state subsidies give the firm an unfair advantage over domestic retailers and could threaten bids for Currys, Argos and Very Group.
The European Commission has opened an in-depth inquiry into JD.com’s €2.2bn takeover bid for German electronics retailer Ceconomy to determine if financing, tax incentives or grants from China have distorted competition in the EU internal market.
The UK Treasury announced it will accelerate the scheduled 2029 reforms, closing the £135 de minimis import duty exemption in October 2028, thereby subjecting low-value overseas shipments to customs duties and reducing price advantages for foreign online sellers.
Raising barriers to heavily subsidized rivals and imposing duties on low-value imports could ease competitive pressure on Amazon’s UK business by leveling the playing field against new entrants like JD.com.
