A new episode in , was caused by the decision of the Ministry of Public Finance to screen all parcels arriving through the Asian online sales giant from Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle airport in Paris, while contacts with French authorities and the Chinese retailer, after the sales of dolls with the characteristics of little girls as “sex toys” and illegal weapons in Chinese e-commerce platform.
The decision concerns about 200,000 packages, the contents of which will be thoroughly checked, as announced by the responsible minister, Amelie de Montchalen, in order to establish whether they contain products compatible with the commercial legislation in force in Europe. The operation is carried out jointly by the Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control, Customs and the Air Transport Gendarmerie of France.
What do they look for in audits?
The investigation will contribute to ongoing legal proceedings against Shein by verifying the “accuracy of declarations and compliance with tax and customs obligations,” the French minister said, while pointing out that “initial findings reveal non-compliant and illegal products,” citing as examples “unauthorized cosmetics, toys dangerous for children, counterfeit products and defective household appliances.”
Roissy Charles de Gaulle Airport is the second busiest airport in Europe, handling an average of two million tonnes of cargo per year. 95% of parcels from China pass through this airport before being distributed throughout France.
Paris calls Brussels
It was previously reported that France was formally asking the Commission to take action against Shein after French authorities launched proceedings to shut down Shein over the illegal products, while Shein suspended its shopping platform in the country to review its external suppliers, having already stopped selling sex dolls – including those that looked like children – around the world.
