US safety regulators are calling for a probe into China-owned e-commerce platforms Temu and Shein after a report last month alleged the companies were selling deadly baby and toddler products.
US Consumer Product Safety Commissioners Peter Feldman and Douglas Dziak sent a letter late Tuesday imploring the agency to investigate Temu and Shein’s safety protocols, their relationships with sellers and consumers and their import practices.
“We seek to better understand these firms, particularly their focus on low-value direct-to-consumer – sometimes called de minimis – shipments and the enforcement challenges when firms with little or no US presence distribute consumer products through these platforms,” the commissioners said.
The push to investigate Temu and Shein comes after The Information last month reported that deadly baby and toddler products were easy to find on the two e-commerce sites.
A wide variety of padded crib bumpers – which were banned in the US by Congress two years ago since they pose a suffocation hazard – were available on the Temu site, the report said.
Children’s hoodies with drawstrings – which US regulators have warned pose a risk of choking – also were for sale on Shein, according to the report.
“Temu requires all sellers on our platform to comply with applicable laws and regulations, including those related to product safety,” a Temu spokesperson told The Post in a statement. “Our interests are aligned with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in ensuring consumer protection and product safety, and we will cooperate fully with any investigation.”
Shein did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Temu and Shein – discount retailers under Chinese ownership that ship direct to the US – have skyrocketed in popularity because of their ultra-affordable products and ability to churn out trendy items.
Shein was founded in 2008 and launched in the US in 2017. It is reportedly valued around $66 billion.
Temu – a Boston-based company owned by China’s PDD Holdings – was founded and launched in the US in 2022 and raced to catch up with its rival.
Both companies have poured billions into advertising. Shein has funded ads on Google and Facebook and Temu ran a massive Super Bowl slot commercial last year.
The two companies rely on a chain of Chinese suppliers – and reportedly pit these suppliers against one another to clinch the lowest prices.
Their explosive growth has been attributed to the de minimis exception, which allows lightweight, low-price packages – Temu and Shein’s specialty – to enter the US duty-free.
CPSC officials have asked for funding to hire staffers to monitor Temu and Shein’s safety practices, according to The Information.
Both companies have faced legal challenges and accusations of copyright infringement. Temu and Shein have even sued each other, accusing the rival site of stealing clothing designs and internal documents.
Lawmakers have accused the fast-fashion sites of relying on forced labor to turn around mass amounts of cheaply made products.
