Germana Carillo Shein feels threatened by laws in France and anti-fast fashion taxes in the United States. The brand has never been so vulnerable and for this reason it is multiplying its (false) communication operations to defend itself. Here's how
Donald Tang, CEO of Shein since 2023, tried to package an optimistic message in an interview with Journal du Dimanche. Leading the Chinese fast fashion giant, Tang took the chance to declare his good intentions. But as the old saying goes, “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.”
At the top of Tang’s concerns is a French bill aimed at reducing environmental impact by banning fast fashion advertising and imposing financial penalties on their products. Alongside this, there’s also the elimination by former President Trump of the “de minimis” exemption, which allowed shipments valued under $800 (about £600) to be imported duty-free.
Shein now finds itself threatened by anti-fast fashion laws and taxes—and has never been more vulnerable. That’s why the company is ramping up its communications efforts—bordering on greenwashing—to defend itself.
Shein responded with a statement saying it “complies with all laws, regulations, and tax obligations in each of [its] markets (…), including France.” Meanwhile, in 2024, roughly 4.6 billion items valued under €150 (about $165) entered the European market—more than 145 per second. Of these, 91% came from China. In France alone, last year saw 800 million of these packages delivered out of a total 1.5 billion.
Shein’s claims in response to anti-fast fashion laws (and why they mislead consumers)
“One on-demand production model… very low unsold inventory”
FALSE: Shein sells billions of garments every year. Millions of unsold items remain undisclosed by the company.
“By 2030, 31% of the polyester used in Shein brand products will be recycled polyester”
GREENWASHING: Recycled polyester remains problematic, especially as it makes up the vast majority of Shein’s products, which are disposable. These items pollute both during production and disposal. Setting a 31% target by 2030 is laughably low.
“19,500 tons (about 21,500 US tons) of water saved thanks to Cool Transfer Denim Printing technology introduced in 2022”
GREENWASHING: While this technology is a positive step, it applies to just 0.000001% of Shein’s products and distracts from the much larger environmental issues.
“€200 million (about $220 million) dedicated to a fund launched in 2024 to support innovation and assist French and European companies promoting sustainability and circularity”
GREENWASHING: For a company generating over $30 billion in revenue, this is a negligible amount, clearly aimed at polishing Shein’s image rather than making a real impact.
the truth is harsher: the company has doubled its greenhouse gas emissions in three years, surpassing even industry pioneers like H&M and Zara. Today, Shein is the clothing brand with the highest carbon emissions worldwide.
Its aggressive marketing fuels excessive consumption of disposable clothes, produced in astronomical quantities, made from materials that will contribute massively to the degradation of the biosphere, climate, and human health. No matter how much self-serving communication they spin, Shein remains a ravenous fast fashion beast.
