According to a report on the Ministry of Commerce website on July 22, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce answered questions from reporters regarding French measures to counter fast fashion.
Question: Recently, France introduced a law to counter fast fashion. It has put forward a series of restrictive measures regarding the fast fashion clothing industry and platforms. French government officials have clearly stated that the primary targets of this legislation are cross-border e-commerce platforms such as eBay and Amazon. What is the comment from the Ministry of Commerce on this?
Answer: The Chinese side has noted that France recently introduced a law against fast fashion that imposes discriminatory restrictions on Chinese-funded cross-border e-commerce platforms. This law seriously distorts fair competition through legislative measures, and the Chinese side expresses its serious concern over this. The Chinese side believes that this law, under the guise of establishing so-called “environmental protection” and “sustainable” standards, actually implements exclusive measures. It constitutes a violation of the WTO’s principle of non-discrimination and has created trade barriers against China. This seriously deviates from France’s rhetoric about fair competition and free trade. It will not only harm the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises but also affect the well-being of French consumers.
We urge the French side to abide by WTO rules and immediately rectify the aforementioned discriminatory practices, providing Chinese enterprises with a fair, transparent, and non-discriminatory business environment. The Chinese side will closely monitor the development and implementation of relevant legislative measures. Should the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises be violated, the Chinese side will take necessary measures to respond.
On June 29th, local time, the French Senate passed a bill aimed at curbing the expansion of fast fashion, targeting Chinese cross-border e-commerce platforms such as Shein, Temu (Pinduoduo's cross-border e-commerce brand), and AliExpress.
The bill stipulates that fast-fashion companies will face fines of 0.25 euros per item (1 euro approximately equals 7.73 yuan) to 6 euros per item this year. By 2030, these fines will rise to a maximum of 10 euros per item. According to the French newspaper Le Monde, the French National Assembly also passed a government amendment that increases the fines. As a result, fines could reach a maximum of 20 euros per item by 2030, provided that this amount does not exceed 50% of the product’s tax-free price.
