The Chinese Ministry of Commerce urges the French side to immediately stop the implementation of the "anti ultra fast fashion" law

Regarding the official implementation of France's "Anti Super Fashion" law from September 1st and the imposition of environmental fines on eligible textile products, Huang Ling, spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce, stated on the 3rd that China has noticed that according to the "Anti Super Fashion" law, the French government has initiated the implementation of so-called "punitive" fees. China strongly opposes and expresses strong dissatisfaction with France's insistence on promoting this discriminatory trade restriction measure.

According to French media reports, the French Senate passed an "anti ultra fast fashion" bill in June aimed at targeting Asian e-commerce platforms such as Heyin, Temu, and AliExpress. The bill will impose a single environmental surcharge on mass-produced textiles, with a maximum of 20 euros per piece by 2030, up to half of the pre tax price of the product, and completely prohibit related brands from advertising online, on television, and on social media. However, France has not set equal constraints on European domestic fast fashion companies such as ZARA.

Huang Ling stated that China has previously clarified its position that the law, under the guise of formulating so-called "environmental" and "sustainable" standards, adopts a double standard approach, which is suspected of violating the non discrimination principle of the World Trade Organization. The French side disregarded the negotiations with the Chinese side and insisted on promoting relevant measures, causing significant business losses to the relevant Chinese funded enterprises. This will not only infringe upon the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises, but also harm the vital interests of French consumers.

Huang Ling further stated that the Chinese side urges the French side to immediately stop the implementation of the "anti ultra fast fashion" law, and to properly resolve the differences between the two sides in the field of sustainable textile trade through equal dialogue, creating a fair and non discriminatory market environment for Chinese enterprises. If the French side insists on acting unilaterally, the Chinese side will take necessary measures to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises, and all consequences arising therefrom will be borne by the French side.