European Commission Flags Possible Obstruction by Temu Owner During Inspection

07:00 AM EDT, 07/31/2026 (MT Newswires) -- The European Commission said Thursday it informed Temu owner PDD Holdings (9PDA.F) and its subsidiary WhaleCo Technology of its preliminary view that they may have obstructed an unannounced inspection at the online marketplace's premises in Dublin, Ireland, in December 2025. The regulator said the inspection was intended to gather evidence related to indications that Temu may have received foreign subsidies that distort the internal market, leading it to issue a Statement of Grounds to PDD and WhaleCo outlining its preliminary concerns. A Temu spokesperson told MT Newswires it "categorically denies having received any foreign subsidies that distort the internal market," adding that it "is committed to fair competition." The spokesperson added that the company "cooperated fully and complied with all the requests the Commission made during the inspection." Temu plans to analyze and respond to the statement of grounds.