France Imposes Surcharges on Fast Fashion Products from Shein and Temu

▲ Temu

French authorities have begun imposing surcharges on "fast fashion" products to curb low-cost clothing sales through e-commerce.

Fast fashion involves the mass production and low-cost distribution of items that rapidly reflect the latest trends, with Chinese online platforms such as Shein, Temu, and AliExpress being prime examples.

It faces criticism for negatively impacting the environment as consumers quickly discard clothes purchased at low prices after brief use.

According to the BBC on the 1st local time, France started levying surcharges on fast fashion products beginning that day.

The surcharge can be applied up to 50% of the pre-tax product price, and by 2030, it could reach a maximum of 19.5 euros per garment, equivalent to approximately 40,000 won in Korean currency.

This measure follows the French parliament's passage of a bill in June to regulate fast fashion products.

The item-based surcharges are assessed based on two criteria: the volume of clothing introduced to the market and the cost of clothing repairs relative to the purchase price.

Based on this year's standards, surcharges of 0.50 euros for fast fashion underwear, 2 euros for T-shirts, and 12 euros for jackets are applied.

French Minister of Trade and Tourism Serge Papin pointed out in an interview with local media that "products sold at low prices by these platforms often fail to meet standards or lack durability."

France decided to impose the surcharges on the grounds that fast fashion products encourage overconsumption and short lifecycle clothing causes environmental problems.

There is also the objective of protecting domestic retailers.

A portion of the collected levies will be injected into clothing collection and recycling infrastructure.

China's Ministry of Commerce has criticized France's fast fashion regulatory bill as discriminatory and a potential trade barrier.

In a previous interview with the BBC, Shein claimed that "(the imposition of surcharges) will further worsen the purchasing power of French consumers who are already experiencing a cost-of-living crisis," while Temu stated, "We are not a fast fashion company because we do not produce our own goods."

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