Shopping bag from online fashion giant Shein
China’s Ministry of Commerce on Wednesday expressed grave concern and threatened to take countermeasures after the French parliament passed an “anti-fast fashion” law in June, arguing it imposes discriminatory restrictions on Chinese platforms and distorts competition.
China claims the law creates trade barriers under the guise of environmental standards and violates World Trade Organization (WTO) principles.
“China will closely monitor the development and implementation of law enforcement regulations and take necessary countermeasures if the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises are endangered,” China’s Ministry of Commerce said.
More than a year after the National Assembly, the Senate last month passed legislation “aimed at reducing the environmental impact of the textile industry.”
The text attacks the ultra-fast fashion industry called “ultra-express fashion”, in particular Chinese sites Shein or Temu, while sparing French and European players in cheap ready-to-wear clothing such as Kiabi.
Faced in particular with competition from very low-cost products, several historic French brands are in deep trouble, such as Jennyfer, which was forced into liquidation at the end of April, or Naf Naf, which has been under receivership since May.
The Senate version includes a ban on advertising by fast fashion players, as well as fines for production that causes significant environmental damage. In 2030, the fine will be at least 10 euros, which will be up to half the price excluding taxes.
The European Union also introduced a €3 customs duty on low-value parcels in early July to curb the influx of parcels, especially from China.
(Beijing office; Zhifang Liu for French version; Editing by Sophie Luet)