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France Inspects 200,000 Shein Parcels and Moves to Suspend Platform Over Illegal Listings

EU scrutiny under the Digital Services Act could follow the French crackdown.

Overview

  • French customs and consumer watchdogs opened all Shein shipments arriving over 24 hours at Paris Charles de Gaulle, citing a sweep to verify product safety, labeling, and tax compliance.
  • Initial findings flagged numerous non‑compliant or illegal goods, including unsafe toys, unapproved cosmetics, counterfeit items, and faulty appliances, according to Finance Minister Amélie de Montchalin.
  • The government initiated a procedure to suspend Shein’s online service in France with a 48‑hour window to demonstrate compliance after reports of childlike sex dolls and allegedly prohibited weapons on the platform.
  • Shein said it is cooperating, suspended third‑party marketplace listings in France, created a Marketplace Integrity taskforce, and its CEO pledged to respect French law while temporarily removing all non‑clothing products and seeking talks with officials.
  • Paris formally asked the European Commission to open a probe and consider sanctions under the DSA, the Commission confirmed receipt, and Germany’s retail association urged similar checks at German airports and did not rule out a domestic blocking order.