Khaberni - The Chinese e-commerce retailers "SHEIN" and "Temu" are facing increased pressure in the United States, after two prominent politicians called for comprehensive investigations into their business practices, which include allegations of forced labor and intellectual property theft.
In Texas, Attorney General Ken Paxton announced the opening of an investigation into allegations that "SHEIN" relies on forced labor and uses unsafe materials, according to the "BBC".
At the federal level, Republican Senator Tom Cotton has called for an investigation into the potential intellectual property theft by both "SHEIN" and "Temu", pointing to reports that American designers have accused "SHEIN" of copying their creations and selling them at low prices.
He also noted that "Temu" offers counterfeit and misleadingly advanced products on its platform, which has hundreds of millions of users.
"SHEIN" responded by affirming that it takes these concerns seriously and will cooperate with the investigation, emphasizing its ongoing investment in protecting the rights of designers around the world and improving its internal procedures. "Temu" did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Most of "SHEIN's" products are made in China, although its headquarters is in Singapore, and the investigation comes at a time when the United States is experiencing changes in customs regulations for low-cost shipments from China, which has given authorities greater opportunity to review imported products.
"SHEIN" also faces European calls to limit the sales of sensitive products such as sex dolls and child-like weapons, while "Temu" is under investigation in France concerning harmful content accessible to young people.
This expansion of the investigations comes in the context of increasing pressures on Chinese e-commerce companies abroad, following similar criticisms of American companies such as "Roblox", where Paxton has filed a lawsuit against the latter for ignoring safety laws and misleading consumers.
