China: China on Thursday called on France to abandon a new law on ultra-fast fashion that would impose fees of up to almost £20 per garment, calling it "clearly discriminatory". The law, which targets major Asian e-commerce platforms including Shein and Temu, aims to curb the industry's environmental and local economic impacts.

According to France24.com, the law came into effect on Tuesday, imposing fees on certain items as part of a push to curb the industry's environmental and local economic impacts. "China urges France to immediately halt the implementation of the anti-ultra-fast fashion law," commerce ministry spokeswoman Huang Ling said when asked about the law at a news conference.

Huang stated that China is in "firm opposition to France's insistence on pushing forward this trade-restrictive measure, which is clearly discriminatory". She warned that if France continues with this law, China will take necessary measures to protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises. "France will bear full responsibility for all consequences arising from this," she added.

The French legislation defines ultra-fast fashion based on two criteria: the volume of clothing placed on the market and the cost of repairing garments relative to their purchase price. The per-item fee will vary on a set scale according to how each product scores on these standards.

Shein, known for its ultra-low prices and rapidly produced clothes, had a subdued debut on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on Tuesday, following previous plans for initial public offerings in New York and London that were derailed. The online retailer moved its headquarters to Singapore between 2021 and 2022, which analysts suggest was to avoid increasing global scrutiny of Chinese firms.