Two popular Chinese retail websites, Shein and Temu, face a proposed investigation by a U.S. government agency for dealing in "deadly baby and toddler products."
The Consumer Product Safety Commission's leadership released a scathing open letter about the two e-commerce companies selling products that violate U.S. product safety laws.
"Today, we are calling on U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission staff to evaluate e-commerce platforms Shein, Temu, and others to determine how these foreign-owned firms that rely on overseas suppliers meet their obligations under the Consumer Product Safety Act," CPSC commissioners Peter Feldman and Douglas Dziak wrote in a joint statement.
The statement specifically targets Shein and Temu, low-cost retail sites that have come under fire for selling products that are considered dangerous to consumers, particularly children. Numerous complaints have been filed against the sites, most notably the CPSC's open letter.
"We are aware of recent media reports that deadly baby and toddler products are easy to find on these platforms," the letter said, adding that "thousands of Chinese factories and vendors have joined the supply chain for Shein and Temu, whose popularity has exploded in the U.S. with their offers of inexpensive made-in-China goods, from T-shirts and handbags to electronics and kitchen items."
The commission specifically mentions the companies' exploitation of the "de minmis" rule that exempts tariffs on shipments valued at $800 or less from tariffs. Temu and Shein ship products that fall in the cheap range.
Shein responded with a statement to CNN claiming that consumer safety is its "top priority and we are investing millions of dolars to strengthen our compliance programs." Temu's response said that it "requires all sellers on our platform to comply with applicable laws and regulations, including those related to product safety."
The CSPC commissioners made clear their intentions: "This form of commerce can benefit consumers and sellers in many ways, but CPSC must make clear its expectations regarding these platforms' responsibilities to ensure safety. We expect this review by Commission staff will inform what further steps are needed to protect American consumers."
