Overview
- Independent tests found 18 of 56 Shein garments purchased in eight countries exceeded EU REACH limits, with children’s items among those flagged.
- Violations covered phthalates, PFAS and heavy metals, including an outdoor jacket with PFAS roughly 3,300 times the EU limit and phthalates up to 200 times over the cap.
- Greenpeace reported a repeat pattern, citing a children’s costume now testing about 3.5 times over the formaldehyde limit after a similar item was removed in 2022.
- Shein said it removed the identified products from sale worldwide as a precaution and is investigating, adding it had not received the data in advance and that similar items remain on other platforms.
- Regulatory pressure is mounting, with France reporting widespread non‑compliance in checks on about 200,000 Shein shipments and backing lawsuits and an anti‑fast‑fashion law, while the EU considers new per‑parcel fees and ending small‑parcel duty exemptions.