Chinese fast-fashion retailer Shein may face scrutiny from EU regulators over illicit goods, though officials say blocking the platform is improbable.
A senior European Commission (EC) official told Reuters the company is under review following concerns about unlawful items sold through its marketplace.
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The issue surfaced last November after child-like sex dolls and other prohibited products were discovered in France, triggering warnings that the company could represent a systemic risk to consumers across the bloc.
Under the Digital Services Act (DSA), which obliges major online platforms to counter illegal and harmful content, Brussels has requested documents outlining Shein’s compliance measures.
The official compared the process to a year-long examination of Alibaba’s AliExpress that concluded with commitments to improve transparency in advertising and recommendation systems, and to enforcement steps taken against rival Temu in July.
Shein’s regional general counsel Yinan Zhu told EU lawmakers that the company had removed illegal listings, adding that multiple marketplaces face similar challenges from sellers attempting to bypass controls.
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By GlobalDataRita Wezenbeek, the EC official overseeing DSA enforcement, said interim penalties or a suspension were unlikely, pointing to a recent Paris court decision rejecting a request to halt the platform over the sex doll sales.
The French Government later confirmed it would appeal the ruling after its bid to impose temporary restrictions was dismissed. The action stemmed from what authorities called “serious breaches” by the company.
Regulatory pressure has also emerged in the US.
In December, Arkansas Republican Senator Tom Cotton urged federal agencies to investigate Shein and Temu, alleging widespread intellectual property abuse and counterfeiting.
He called on the US Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security to scrutinise the retailers’ operations, which largely ship goods from China.
In a separate development, Shein launched an e-commerce logistics centre in Wroclaw, Poland, expanding its fulfilment network in Europe.
The facility will function as the company’s main logistics centre for the region, supporting deliveries to more than 100 million customers across the continent.
