Beijing has issued a sharp warning to France over its newly implemented fast fashion law, demanding an immediate halt to the legislation that targets major Asian e-commerce platforms like Shein and Temu. The Chinese commerce ministry isn’t mincing words.
Commerce ministry spokeswoman Huang Ling called the measure “clearly discriminatory” during a press conference on Thursday. She warned that China would take necessary steps to protect Chinese businesses if France doesn’t back down. “France will bear full responsibility for all consequences arising from this,” Huang said.
What exactly does this law do? The legislation, which took effect on September 1, imposes fees on certain ultra-fast fashion items based on two criteria: the volume of clothing placed on the market and the cost of repairing garments relative to their purchase price. These fees could eventually reach almost 20 euros per garment.
French lawmakers designed the measure to combat the environmental and economic impacts of ultra-cheap, rapidly produced clothing. The timing is notable for Shein, which made a tepid Hong Kong Stock Exce debut on the same day the law came into force, after previous attempts to list in New York and London fell through. The company relocated its headquarters from China to Singapore between 2021 and 2022.
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