The law against ultra-fast fashion, which came into force on Tuesday, is “not discriminatory” and is primarily intended to “protect the environment and consumers“, a source in the French Foreign Trade and Attractiveness office, which comes under the Foreign Ministry, told Euronews on Thursday in response to accusations from Beijing.
“It is in everyone’s interest, including China’s, to have a calm relationship with France, with the European Union, and a civil trade relationship“, the source said.
At a press conference on Thursday, Chinese Commerce Ministry spokeswoman Huang Ling called for the suspension of the new French law known as the “anti-fast-fashion” law, passed last July and which came into force on Tuesday.
She notably accused France of instrumentalising environmental and sustainability criteria in order, in reality, to introduce a two-tier system, potentially in breach of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) non-discrimination rules.
“If France persists, China will take the necessary measures to protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies“, the spokeswoman said, adding that “France will bear all the consequences that ensue.“
“No discrimination”
According to the source interviewed in the French Foreign Trade and Attractiveness office, even though “there is no discrimination“, China is within its rights to submit technical comments to the WTO.
“The fact that China feels targeted is indeed something we have heard. We are of course ready to talk to them to understand to what extent they feel targeted […] If China has technical comments, it is perfectly entitled to submit them to the WTO”, she said.
“Our Parliament is sovereign and has had its say. It has passed this law and we will fully respect its decision. This kind of threat, this challenge to a state’s sovereign position, is coercion, economic retaliation. But for now, it remains a threat“, the official said.
The European Commission has expressed reservations about whether the draft “anti-fast-fashion” law is compatible with EU law, particularly with regard to the advertising ban.
However, according to the source, the law remains robust. “We have taken the time to respond to the European Commission’s concerns, to questions about compatibility with various directives. Questions remain, but we are confident“, the French official said. “From our point of view, there are no outstanding issues“.
For now, China has not said what retaliatory measures it might take. But Beijing has already targeted French interests in the past, notably by imposing anti-dumping measures on European brandy in 2024, after the European Union decided to impose duties on Chinese electric vehicles. French cognac producers in particular found themselves at the heart of a customs stand-off between the European Union and China.
What does the law say?
The law defines ultra-fast fashion using two criteria: the number of new products launched by a company and whether or not customers are encouraged to repair their items rather than replace them.
The scheme aims to reduce the fashion sector’s environmental footprint, but also to shield France’s ready-to-wear industry from the influx of low-cost products.
The charge per item will vary according to a predefined scale, based on the score each product receives on these two criteria.
The levy will be paid by producers and directly by consumers, although companies will be able to pass on the full cost by raising prices.
Known for its competitive prices and constantly renewed range, Shein had a mixed debut on the Hong Kong stock exchange on Tuesday. Its listing comes as its plans to go public in New York and London have been delayed amid numerous questions over its supply chains in China.