Two commissioners from the US Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) are calling for an investigation into the e-commerce platforms Shein and Temu after “deadly baby and toddler products” were reportedly sold on their websites.
The call for action was detailed in a letter posted on the CPSC’s website on Tuesday.
Commissioners Peter Feldman and Douglas Dziak are urging the agency to examine how Shein, based in Singapore, and Temu, operated by China’s PDD Group, comply with US safety regulations. They also want the CPSC to investigate how these platforms manage relationships with third-party sellers and represent imported products to consumers.
The commissioners’ concerns are heightened by the companies’ use of the de minimis rule, which exempts packages valued at $800 or less from tariffs if they are shipped directly to US shoppers. This rule has been cited as a key factor in the success of Shein and Temu in the US market, allowing them to offer low prices on a wide range of products. However, critics argue that this practice raises issues related to product quality and safety.
Shein and Temu, which both ship low-cost merchandise from China, have faced increasing scrutiny not only for product safety but also for the overall quality of their goods. Last year, a bipartisan group of US lawmakers proposed legislation to eliminate the de minimis rule, which is also utilized by other e-commerce giants like Amazon and Walmart, in an effort to tighten regulations on imported products.
With input from Reuters.
