France Imposes Another €22 Million Fine on Shein as Europe Intensifies Crackdown on Cross-Border E-Commerce

Due to violations of consumer protection regulations, French regulators have once again issued a substantial fine against the fast-fashion e-commerce platform Shein. According to a decision published by France’s Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs, and Fraud Control (DGCC) on Wednesday, June 3, this Chinese-founded company, headquartered in Singapore, has been fined a total of €22 million.

This marks another penalty Shein has faced in France in recent years. Including previous fines related to false promotions, misleading environmental claims, and breaches of personal data protection rules, the platform’s cumulative penalties in France have now exceeded €210 million.

French regulators pointed out that Shein, as a clothing brand, failed to adequately safeguard consumers’ legally guaranteed 14-day right to return goods without reason during certain product sales. Additionally, some products lacked required traceability information mandated by law, such as the manufacturing, dyeing, and processing locations of textile materials.

Regulators also noted that Shein did not warn consumers that certain polyester garments release large amounts of microplastics when washed in machines—microplastics that eventually enter rivers and oceans, causing environmental pollution.

In response, Shein stated that regulators conflated statutory cancellation rights with the company’s more lenient return policy. Regarding missing environmental information, the company explained that the content had temporarily been unavailable due to technical issues.

The latest penalty stems from a large-scale investigation launched by French authorities in 2025 targeting multiple cross-border e-commerce platforms. Last year, Shein was already fined €1.09 million over transparency regarding microplastic emissions.

Beyond being penalized as a fashion brand, Shein is also facing accountability as an e-commerce platform operator.

The French Anti-Fraud Authority stated that order confirmation messages sent to consumers after purchase were missing essential details such as item unit prices, delivery timelines, and the identity and contact information of third-party sellers. According to French law, such information must be provided in a way that allows consumers to retain and access it long-term.

Shein argued that all relevant information can be accessed through user accounts, thus meeting legal requirements. However, regulators countered that if a consumer deletes their account, the data becomes inaccessible—making the current practice non-compliant with existing regulations.

Shein criticized the penalty as “clearly disproportionate and discriminatory” and announced its intention to appeal through legal channels.

French Minister of Trade, Pascal Paquin, stated that Shein has not fulfilled compliance obligations equivalent to those of French and European businesses, particularly in consumer protection, creating an unfair competitive advantage.

Founded in China in 2012 and currently headquartered in Singapore, Shein has increasingly become a focal point for scrutiny by French and EU regulatory bodies. Environmental groups criticize its ultra-low pricing and rapid product turnover model for exacerbating resource waste and environmental degradation. Traditional retailers accuse it of selling products that do not meet European standards, disrupting fair market competition.

Previously, France’s National Commission on Informatics and Liberties (CNIL) imposed a €150 million fine on Shein for violating cookie management regulations; the French Anti-Fraud Authority had also previously fined the company €40 million for false discounts and misleading advertising.

Meanwhile, French authorities are still investigating certain product sales practices on the platform. The probe involves items discovered last year—including suspected toys featuring minors, prohibited pharmaceuticals, and Class A weapons.

Shein’s regulatory pressure is not isolated. In recent years, other Chinese e-commerce companies operating in Europe, such as AliExpress and Temu—a cross-border platform under Pinduoduo—have also drawn increasing attention from European regulators. Recently, Temu was fined €200 million by the EU for allowing dangerous toys and electronics with safety hazards to be sold on its platform.

Data shows that in 2025, 5.8 billion small parcels entered the European market, with 97% originating from China. Faced with the ongoing surge in cross-border e-commerce imports, EU member states are seeking stronger regulatory measures.

The French government has announced plans to impose a €2 management fee per parcel entering France, in addition to the proposed EU-wide €3 tariff per item, aiming to curb the flood of ultra-cheap goods into Europe.

Source: rfi

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1867040736456896/

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