South Korean authorities said on Wednesday they had found high levels of toxic substances in women’s accessories sold by Chinese e-commerce giants Shein, AliExpress and Temu.
South Korea is coming under intense scrutiny of products from fast-growing Chinese online retailers for alleged unfair business practices, shoddy craftsmanship and poor quality control.
Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC) Release A major investigation into Tem and its Korean subsidiary, Whaleco Korea Ltd., was launched in April. The investigation was launched following growing complaints about Tem’s product quality and marketing strategies.
investigation Grown Up include Weekly inspection The inspections were carried out on products from Chinese e-commerce supermarkets, including products for children. The latest inspections included 144 products from Temu, Shein and AliExpress. All three companies’ products did not meet South Korea’s quality standards.
Seoul Inspector Found Shein’s shoes contained high levels of phthalates, a group of “plasticizer” chemicals made to make plastics more flexible.
High concentrations of phthalates can damage human reproductive function, from reduced sperm count to infertility and premature birth. One such chemical has been classified as a human carcinogen by the International Agency for Cancer Research.
According to South Korean inspectors, some SHEIN shoes contained 229 times the legal limit of phthalates, some SHEIN caps contained high levels of formaldehyde, and some of the company’s nail polish contained more than 3.6 times the legal limit of dioxane, a human carcinogen that can have adverse liver effects.
The insoles of Temu sandals were found to contain 11 times more lead than the legal limit.
In July, South Korean inspectors Found Shein’s children’s shoes, leather bags and belts contained high levels of phthalates, while children’s watches and jewelry sold by both Shein and AliExpress contained high levels of lead. Tests conducted in July found that nearly half of the products from the three Chinese companies contained toxic chemicals.
In May, Seoul Found Shein’s children’s leather products, including shoes, have been found to contain harmful substances, with industry analysts pointing out similar findings in Shein products tested in the US, Europe and Canada.
The Information, a tech industry publication, found more tainted products in August.This includes padded crib bumpers that the US government banned in 2021 because they posed a choking hazard to infants, dangerous drawstrings on hoodies aimed at very young children, and human infant products that SHEIN apparently repurposed and sold as pet toys.
A Taemu spokesman said Wednesday that the company responded swiftly to the warning issued by the Seoul metropolitan government, removing the affected products from its global marketplace and “strengthening our systems and guidance to sellers to comply with safety standards and local regulations.”
Critics of Chinese “fast fashion” retail websites argue that they rely too heavily on third-party suppliers that are not adequately monitored. Claim E-commerce companies treat consumers in abusive and exploitative ways, including depriving them of benefits with unfair return policies.
Another complaint about the fast fashion industry is Avoid They avoid customs regulations and inspections by shipping tiny packages directly to individual customers, which are below the dollar limit that would subject them to inspections to enforce regulations such as the Uighur Forced Labor Protection Act (UFLPA), a U.S. law that bans imports tainted by the forced labor of oppressed Uighur Muslims.
