French Government Seeks Three-Month Suspension of Shein Over Illegal Products

The French government has formally requested a three-month suspension of the Chinese e-commerce giant Shein's operations in France due to the sale of illegal and inappropriate products. This request is set to be reviewed at a hearing in the Paris judicial court on November 26, 2025. Shein had already temporarily halted marketplace sales from third-party vendors on its French site after child-like sex dolls and Category A weapons were found for sale, prompting this legal action.

The Ministry of Economy underscores that platforms like Shein are repeatedly and systemically violating French regulations, emphasizing the need for strict adherence to national laws. The government’s action follows a prior administrative attempt to compel Shein to remove illegal products within 48 hours. Alongside Shein, other platforms such as AliExpress, Temu, Wish, and eBay are under investigation for similar offenses.

If Shein is suspended, France aims to assign Arcom, the digital regulator, to oversee compliance measures ensuring the platform prevents future violations. The government also plans to collaborate with European counterparts to address the broader issue of illegal sales on large e-commerce platforms. The European Commission, empowered by the Digital Services Act, may impose financial penalties reaching up to 6% of a platform’s global revenue and even suspend market access for repeated, severe infractions.

The situation is compounded by harsh legal penalties for selling pedopornographic content—up to seven years in prison and €100,000 in fines—and penalties reaching three years of imprisonment and €75,000 in fines for insufficient content filtering to protect minors. Additionally, a coalition of French retail federations has filed a lawsuit against Shein alleging unfair competition.

This case highlights the French government’s intensified efforts to clamp down on the sale of illegal products online, protect consumers, and enforce regulatory compliance among e-commerce giants.