France imposes penalties up to €20 per item on Shein, Temu and AliExpress in new anti-ultra fast fashion law
Parliament has adopted a definitive law that singles out Asian ultra fast fashion platforms for financial penalties, an advertising ban and mandatory sobriety messages, while sparing European brands.
The French parliament adopted a bill on Monday that aims to curb the rapid expansion of ultra fast fashion, symbolised by Chinese-owned platforms Shein, Temu and AliExpress. The law, sponsored by MP Anne-Cécile Violland (Horizons), caps a legislative journey of over two years and introduces a system of escalating financial penalties per product sold, alongside an advertising ban and on-site messages promoting reuse and repair.
Narrowed scope after lobbying pressure
Final negotiations left the law concentrated on what deputies call 'ultra fast fashion', defined by two cumulative criteria: the breadth of a retailer's product range and a coefficient comparing the price of a garment to its potential repair cost. Thresholds for each criterion will be set by decree. This construction is designed to hit large Asian platforms while keeping European and French chains such as Zara, Kiabi and H&M outside the scope.
The left and environmental groups have attacked the restricted perimeter. Green MP Charles Fournier said the law had been gutted by industry influence.
Under pressure from lobbies, the initial ambition of the text has been considerably reduced.
Zara, H&M, Primark, Uniqlo have not suddenly become models of sustainable fashion.
The coalition Stop fast fashion, which brings together Emmaüs, Max Havelaar and Les Amis de la Terre, denounced 'a very watered-down version' of the original proposal.
The new penalty regime
At the core of the reform is a financial malus applied to each garment sold by the targeted platforms. The charge will rise progressively, reaching up to €20 per piece by 2030, with a ceiling fixed at 50% of the product's pre-tax price. Revenue from the penalties will be channelled towards textile collection and recycling infrastructure. The government argues the mechanism can operate quickly and surgically.
It was important to have a text that could turn around very fast and be operational.
Violland added that she was 'comfortable saying, in the first instance, we hit Shein hard, and that is the first step.'
Advertising ban and EU uncertainty
The law also prohibits all advertising for ultra fast fashion brands, including promotions carried out by influencers. This clause remains fragile, however. The European Commission has expressed doubts about its compatibility with EU law, and the ban could be struck down before it ever takes effect.
Government and parliamentary arithmetic
Commerce Minister Serge Papin welcomed the bill, stressing the breakneck growth of the three Asian platforms.
Three platforms are flooding the market. Their names, unknown three years ago, are now on every French person's lips: Temu, Shein and AliExpress.
Mathieu Lefèvre, minister delegate for ecological transition, said the text 'does not make the consumer feel guilty' and protects French jobs. Most left-wing lawmakers abstained in both chambers, unhappy that the scope did not extend to other fast fashion giants.
