Paris urges Brussels to take action against Asian platform Shein

Paris, November 6, 2025 (AFP) - The European Commission “must take action” and sanction the online platform Shein, which is “clearly in breach of European regulations,” urged the French minister of foreign affairs on Thursday.

“It has been three years since the regulations were adopted; the European Commission must take action,” stated Jean-Noël Barrot on France Info radio. “The Commission has initiated several investigations and must now follow them up with sanctions” against the Asian platform, he added.

At a national level, he welcomed prime minister Sébastien Lecornu's call to suspend the platform “until” it complies with French law.

He emphasised his desire to “go further” by acting at a European level.

The European Commission has been notified about “all platforms, whether they are marketplaces where products are exchanged or social networks,” with no real effect, he pointed out. He cited “abuses that raise issues of public order and public safety.”

“We have established regulations for all of this, which are not being respected. The European Commission must therefore take action,” he insisted.

Brussels “can go up to 6 percent of global turnover, which is not insignificant,” he continued. He lamented the fact that “we have allowed large platforms to thrive whose rules are set by Chinese and American billionaires, and which disrupt the economic, social, and democratic life of the nation.”

He also questioned what measures should be taken regarding the opening of Shein stores, which compete with “small retailers.”

“If we do nothing, if we let this happen, we will see small retailers disappear from our city and village centres, and it will be the death of our towns and villages,” he warned, as Shein has just opened its first physical store in the BHV department store in the heart of Paris.

Here again, he called for action at the European level.

“Customs authorities must be mobilised, and not just French customs officials,” he said. He noted the presence of European border guards who can better control the “massive flow of small parcels flooding our towns and villages with counterfeit products, products harmful to health, or illicit goods.”

“This is not acceptable. We must regain control of our borders regarding the products entering the territory of the European Union and France,” he stated.

The arrival of the platform, founded in China in 2012 and now based in Singapore, has crystallised tensions surrounding the regulation of e-commerce and fast fashion.

The sale of child-like sex dolls on its website, identified by the French fraud control authority, has led to a judicial investigation. Shein has since stated that it has banned “sex doll” type products.

This article was translated to English using an AI tool.

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