Fashion police: France targets Shein and Temu with fines

France is putting a price on the fastest end of fast fashion. New penalties target cheap clothing sold through e-commerce platforms such as Shein and Temu, as Paris tries to slow a surge in purchases and address the environmental cost of overproduction.

The fees range from 0.25 euros for a pair of boxer shorts or socks to 12 euros for a coat. They cannot exceed half of the product's pre-tax selling price. The penalties form part of a fast-fashion law passed in June and are scheduled to rise further from 2030.

Authorities calculate the charge through a formula that considers the number of products sold, their prices and how repairable they are. A French organization responsible for funding textile collection and reuse will collect the money from the importer or manufacturer liable for the penalty.

The measure adds to pressure on Shein as the end of duty-free access for low-cost e-commerce parcels in the European Union and the United States contributed to a sharp fall in its valuation ahead of its planned Hong Kong stock-market debut. Shein listed more than two million products as of March 31 and introduced 4,700 new clothing styles each day, according to its prospectus. Its French spokesperson, Quentin Ruffat, has said the penalties would hurt customers by raising prices.

China's commerce ministry called the French law discriminatory and a trade barrier, and said it could violate World Trade Organization principles. Officials said European retailers including Zara and H&M, whose websites carry smaller product ranges, were not expected to face the same impact. Neither Shein nor Temu responded to requests for comment on the fees.