following the scandal surrounding the sale of child pornographic dolls. Despite the popularity of Shein – a site visited by more than 4.4 million people a day in France – the government is waging an unprecedented legal battle to force it to shut down, even if it means circumventing European legislation. “On instructions from the Prime Minister,” reads the press release, Sébastien Lecornu’s government intends to suspend ‘Shein for as long as it takes for the platform to prove to the authorities that all its content finally complies with our laws and regulations ‘ .
Below: gendarmes in front of the BHV warehouse, in Paris, where Shein has just opened a 1,500 square metre sales space, and some reflections on theunreliability and illegality practised, in some cases, without control, by Chinese sites (there is also Temu), which is the French government’s main topic on this issue.
The fact that it has not succeeded so far means that at least the problem – which is very relevant – has finally been raised.
Update: The attempt to block Shein seems to have been dropped for now. Instead, the French government is targeting a €2 tax on every article imported from non-EU countries as a measure against Chinese ‘fast fashion’ platforms. Will it succeed? And should Italy do so too?
In Italy, in fact, there is discussion of a €2 tax on small parcels from outside the EU, proposed for the 2026 economic manoeuvre.
The measure would affect parcels weighing up to two kilograms from non-EU countries – mainly China – and would aim to raise new budgetary revenue while countering unfair competition from digital giants such as Shein and Temu, which thrive in Italy thanks to online platforms where they sell products at bargain prices.
Drafted on 6 November, updated on 13 November 2025
