Do product safety rules apply to an online seller?
Short answer
Yes as a distributor, and as an importer when the goods come from outside the Union. The duty follows the position in the chain.
Read against the registers 2026-08-26.
Who the role is
A trader who sells to a consumer at a distance, on its own site or through a marketplace.
What the topic covers
The EU sets one general safety duty with named economic operators and a liability regime behind it. China works through compulsory certification and origin rules at the border.
Duties the EU acts name for this role
- General Product Safety Regulation — Regulation (EU) 2023/988, Article 12: Check as a distributor that the product carries its markings, warnings and traceability before it is offered.
The rows behind the answer
European Union
- General Product Safety Regulation — Regulation (EU) 2023/988: General safety requirement, a responsible person in the Union and duties per economic operator.
- Product Liability Directive — Directive (EU) 2024/2853: Liability for defective products, extended to software and to digital components.
- Market Surveillance Regulation — Regulation (EU) 2019/1020: Market surveillance powers and the requirement that a person in the Union is reachable for compliance.
United States
No US row in our register for this topic. That is a gap in the register, not a statement that no rule exists.
China
- Regulations on Compulsory Product Certification (CCC): Named product categories require certification before they may be sold on the Chinese market.
- Regulations on the Origin of Import and Export Goods: Determines the origin of goods, which decides duty treatment and labelling at import.
Where companies usually start
- Name the responsible person in the Union before the first shipment, not after a complaint.
- Check whether the product category sits on the Chinese certification list.
- Keep the technical file and the origin documents in the same place.
This page reads published registers and describes common practice. It is not legal advice and it is not a compliance verdict.
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