The French customs authorities told AFP on Saturday that, during an inspection of 320,474 Shein parcels in early November, 25% of non-textile products were found to be non-compliant, confirming a report by Le Parisien.
Shein
Among the irregularities identified during this high-profile operation at Roissy-CDG airport, Customs cited counterfeits, missing labelling, or instructions on cosmetics and electrical devices, as well as failures to comply with standards for certain toys.
This assessment revises down the figures previously announced by the government shortly after the operation. At the time, it said that of 200,000 parcels inspected, 80% were non-compliant.
As for textile products- the Shein platform’s core business- “few instances of non-compliance were found,” Customs reported, attributing this better result to the closure of its marketplace “a few days before the customs operation.”
The operation took place on November 6, and Shein said it had temporarily closed its marketplace to third-party sellers in France on November 5. The legal outcome of these checks and the number of any official reports issued were not specified.
The inspection took place the day after the government launched proceedings to suspend the platform, following the outcry over the sale of dolls of a paedophilic nature.
The Paris Judicial Court has since rejected the request for a temporary blocking order, deeming the measure “disproportionate,” given that Shein had withdrawn the illicit products from sale. The government has appealed.
The Asian platform has also launched an internal audit, and said it would gradually allow European third-party sellers who pass this internal check to sell again on its marketplace.
In France, the number of items contained in small parcels rose from 170 million in 2022 to 773 million in 2024, according to Customs. These products arrive 97% from China.
A previous targeted operation in 2022 found that 96% of the items were non-compliant or counterfeit, according to a parliamentary report in December.
European countries want to impose a €3 levy on small parcels from July 1, 2026, which could even be raised to €5 in France, depending on the outcome of the finance bill in the French Parliament.
This article is an automatic translation. Click here to read the original article.
