Brussels, August 11, 2025 – The Europe Today: Belgium has issued a warning through the European Safety Gate system regarding dangerous non-food products, specifically brake pads containing the carcinogenic substance asbestos, being sold on the popular Chinese webshop AliExpress.
Since 1998, the production, trade, or reuse of materials containing asbestos has been banned in Belgium. From 2002 onwards, their production, marketing, and use have been completely prohibited.
Flemish parliamentarian Andy Pieters (N-VA) noted that Europe and its member states have long struggled with Chinese webshops such as AliExpress and Temu offering products that fail to meet European safety regulations.
“Asbestos fibres, especially during maintenance activities like cleaning brake pads, can be easily inhaled,” Pieters said. “Asbestos is deadly, and exposure to its fibres causes cancer. The influx of these products must be curtailed as much as possible. It is also essential that the government actively informs garages, vehicle testing centres, and consumers, rather than relying solely on a European warning system.”
