Ministers urged UK regulators to investigate state-backed JD.com after it launched its Joybuy platform in Britain and eyed acquisitions of Currys, Argos and Very Group following a €2.2bn bid for Ceconomy. The probe could signal rising competition for Amazon’s UK business from state-subsidised Chinese rivals.
Chinese retailer JD.com launched its Joybuy platform in the UK this month and has explored takeover bids for Currys, Argos and Very Group following its €2.2bn bid for German electronics chain Ceconomy.
Shadow national security minister Alicia Kearns urged Parliament to investigate whether JD.com has received Chinese state subsidies, citing the EU’s in-depth probe into foreign financing, tax incentives and grants, and calling for potential blocking of acquisitions on economic security grounds.
Rising competition from a potentially state-subsidised rival could pressure Amazon’s UK sales and margins, while planned customs reforms will close the £135 de minimis loophole in October 2028 to address unfair pricing advantages.
