French anti-ultra-fast-fashion law: China threatens retaliation

Beijing - China warned on Wednesday that France could face possible retaliatory measures after adopting a law aimed at countering the rise of disposable fashion, or "ultra-fast fashion". Beijing has denounced the regulation as “discriminatory” and contrary to trade principles.

Adopted by the French Parliament at the end of last month, the text is set to impose a financial penalty on each ephemeral fashion item from September 1. It targets major Asian e-commerce platforms such as Shein, Temu and AliExpress.

Ultra-fast fashion companies are known for selling very large volumes of low-quality clothing at rock-bottom prices. They contribute significantly to pollution from the textile industry, a major emitter of greenhouse gases.

An unnamed spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Commerce stated on Wednesday that the new French law, “under the guise of setting supposed standards of ‘environmental protection’ and ‘sustainability’, was in fact implementing exclusionary measures”.

This regulation is “suspected of violating the non-discrimination principle of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and constitutes a trade barrier against China,” he added.

“We urge France to respect the WTO rules and to immediately correct these discriminatory practices,” he continued, while warning that “necessary retaliatory measures” could be taken “if the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies were to be infringed”.

The financial penalties provided for by the new French law will apply to certain mass-produced textile products. Their amounts will gradually increase until 2030, up to 20 euros per item of clothing, with a cap at 50 percent of the pre-tax price.

The new law will also ban advertising for mass-produced, low-cost clothing brands, including through social media influencers.

The French minister of commerce, Serge Papin, stated last month that the three Asian companies were the main players targeted by the text, believing they were behind the rise of ultra-fast fashion. However, some voices in France have spoken out against this law. They criticise the fact that it spares European and French low-cost fashion companies, including Zara and Kiabi.

Furthermore, the European Commission has expressed reservations about the compliance of the advertising provisions with European Union law.