France targets Shein and Temu with fast fashion fines
The fees target ultra-fast fashion and rise with product volume, price and repairability, with charges capped at 50% of a garment’s pre-tax price.
- On Tuesday, France began enforcing fast-fashion penalties targeting e-commerce platforms Shein and Temu to curb a surge in sales of cheap clothing.
- Passed in June, the legislation addresses environmental concerns from overproduction through a fee structure ranging from €0.25 for basic items to €12 for coats, capped at 50% of pre-tax price.
- Refashion, the French association managing collection, will levy charges based on product volume. Commerce Minister Serge Papin told Ouest France the platforms are "false champions of consumer purchasing power."
- China's commerce ministry described the French law as a discriminatory trade barrier potentially violating WTO principles, while Shein's spokesman in France, Quentin Ruffat, warned the penalties would hurt customers.
- The fees compound Shein's difficulties following the end of duty-free access for small parcels in the European Union, while the penalty formula is set to increase significantly from 2030.
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In Belgium, the government currently favours a European-wide response. ...
Starting today, the French will pay an additional levy on ordering ultra-fast-fashion clothing. This refers to clothing produced at a very low price and sold online, such as that from Shein and Temu. With this law, the French government aims to encourage the French to buy more sustainable clothing that lasts longer.
Sylvain Waserman, head of the Agency for the Environment and Energy Management, welcomes the decree which entered into force on Tuesday, 1 September, aimed at penalising ephemeral fashion brands.
Starting today, an ecological tax applies in France on ultra-fast fashion. The country intends to curb the growth of Chinese online shops such as Shein, Temu or AliExpress.
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