The Chinese conglomerate Alibaba will pay $600 million to settle a dispute with the U.S. government arising from allegations of import and sale of illegal drugs, controlled substances, regulated chemicals and pill production equipment.
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01/07/2026
by
Lusa
O Alibaba operates some of the world's largest e-commerce platforms, such as Alibaba. with and AliExpress. Com.
The US claims that the US-based company that processes its commercial financial flows, AUS Merchant Services, violated federal law by not preventing traders from importing and selling illegal products in the US through those platforms.
Alibaba admitted, in agreement with the Department of Justice, that between January 2016 and December 2024 it did not prevent about 80,000 products from being sold, some of which imported, in violation of several federal laws.
Agents from various federal services, without revealing official identity, made over 40 purchases of pharmaceuticals and machinery whose importation into the U.S. was illegal, according to a statement.
The head of the tax agency’s criminal investigations (IRS), Jarod Koopman, considered that the agreement reached with Alibaba “brings to IRS’ commitment to following the money and ensuring that companies operating in the US buy federal law.”.

