France hits Shein and Temu with fast fashion fees

France has started imposing penalties on ultra-fast fashion products sold by e-commerce sites including Shein, Temu, and AliExpress. The penalties, part of a fast-fashion law passed in June, aim to address environmental concerns from overproduction. According to Business Recorder and Investing.com, the penalties range from €0.25 for a pair of boxer shorts or socks to €12 for a coat, with the amount capped at 50% of the product's pre-tax sales price.

The penalties, set to increase further from 2030, are calculated using a formula that takes into account the number of products sold, their prices, and their repairability. Shein's product selection included more than 2 million items as of March 31 this year, with 4,700 new apparel styles each day, according to Investing.com.

Shein's spokesperson in France, Quentin Ruffat, has previously said the fast-fashion penalties would hurt customers by pushing prices up, as reported by Business Recorder and Investing.com. China's commerce ministry has described the French law as discriminatory and a trade barrier, saying it could be violating WTO principles, according to Business Recorder, Investing.com, and Free Malaysia Today. The law does not affect traditional fast-fashion companies like Primark, Zara, Uniqlo, or H&M, according to Le Monde Economie.

Brief written by urgent.news from Le Monde Economie, RTE News, Business Recorder, Investing.com, Free Malaysia Today — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.