Shein, Temu, AliExpress: Low-cost platforms hitting the regulatory wall
In an interview, Trade Minister Serge Papin revealed the extent of the case: AliExpress and Joom were identified as offering child-pornography dolls, while Wish, Temu, AliExpress and eBay were found selling category-A weapons. Several reports have already been submitted to the public prosecutor, with more expected in the coming days.
Shein remains the most emblematic case. Despite its voluntary suspension of the marketplace in France, the government has asked the courts to order an official suspension—a procedure currently under review by the Paris judicial tribunal.
In total, the DGCCRF is monitoring around thirty platforms. This number reflects the growing scale of a phenomenon that public authorities struggle to contain: the proliferation of non-compliant, dangerous or illegal products, often originating from third-party sellers based outside Europe.
At the same time, the French government launched a major operation at Roissy–Charles de Gaulle airport and in other local zones: more than 200,000 parcels were subjected to full inspection within 48 hours. Customs officers uncovered a mountain of irregularities: toys without CE markings, cosmetic products without instructions, electronic items lacking compliance documentation.
The numbers confirm the scale of the problem: 80% of parcels coming from low-cost platforms reportedly fail to comply with European standards. Roissy alone accounts for 95% of non-EU parcels entering France, making the airport the frontline in confronting the excesses of global e-commerce.
The objective is clear: to support the three procedures initiated by the State—suspension, criminal investigation, and European investigation—and to force platforms to assume responsibility, even when they claim to be mere intermediaries.
