Chinese e-commerce platform owned by PDD, the parent company of Pinduoduo. It says it is American, with its head office in Boston. Temu launched in America in 2022, later rising to prominence with an advertising blitz promising customers could "shop like a billionaire". It sells clothing and various cheap goods, shipping directly from Chinese factories to consumers.
America accounts for an estimated 40% of Temu's sales. Like Shein, it sources most of its wares from the southern Chinese manufacturing province of Guangdong. Temu has moved more quickly than Shein to scale up sourcing in South-East Asia and Mexico, though Morningstar estimated that by the end of 2025 only around 15% of its goods would come from outside China.
After America eliminated the de minimis exemption for Chinese wares on May 2nd 2025, Temu added "import charges" that in some cases exceed the price of the item being purchased. It has been promoting "local-to-local" business, where shoppers buy from companies based in America, though most of these merchants are Chinese companies that have set up shop abroad.
The European Commission is investigating Temu for "the potentially addictive design of the service", under EU rules that outlaw platforms that "manipulate" users through their design and operation.
Temu's app has been blocked in Indonesia to shield local merchants from Chinese competition. Regulators in Vietnam forced it and Shein to halt sales over concerns about counterfeit goods. PDD remains heavily dependent on its Chinese business, Pinduoduo, giving the Chinese government leverage over the firm.
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