The German Technical Inspection Association (TUV) tested polo shirts purchased from Chinese e-commerce company Temu and found shocking results. This is because phthalate plasticizer (DBP), which is 40 times the European standard, was detected in one shirt button. DBP is classified as a substance that can cause female infertility or a decrease in male hormones and sperm count. Exposure during pregnancy can cause fatal damage to the fetus.
The whole world is suffering from ultra-low price raids by China’s ‘Altesh’ (Alibaba, Temu, Shein). Like Temu’s slogan, ‘Shop like a billionaire,’ consumers pay with the mindset of buying something cheap and then throwing it away if it’s not that good. However, there are concerns that not only can you be exposed to new toxic substances without your knowledge, but your personal information may also be handed over intact.
Governments around the world, including the United States and Europe, have recently issued a ‘Temu Alert’. Although all major e-commerce companies in China are subject to caution, it is pointed out that Temu is particularly problematic because it deals with a much wider range of products and the company itself is shrouded in mystery. Although Temu’s parent company, Pinduoduo (PDD) Holdings, is listed on Nasdaq, little information about the company is known. Moreover, as Temu has grown rapidly in the past 1-2 years, major countries are only now hastily responding.
The biggest problem is that products that are unknown when, where, and how they were produced are indiscriminately crossing borders around the world. Currently, supervisory authorities around the world view legal products as well as illegal products, including counterfeit products, adult products, and narcotic food and beverages, as problematic. This is because you can purchase products that have been banned or not certified for sale in each country with just a few clicks through the Temu app.
However, there are virtually no measures to stop it. In the United States alone, more than 50 million customers order millions of products every day, and it is impossible for customs to filter out so many international low-cost packages. The United States is considering a plan to block imports at the source through the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), and France has even created the world’s first law to shackle ‘fast fashion’. The French House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill on the 14th (local time) to reduce fast fashion consumption that causes environmental pollution.
Seo Bong-gyo, a professor of Chinese literature at Dongduk Women’s University, said, “Chinese platforms that have learned the success strategies of Amazon and Coupang are taking on the deficit to secure market share and customers,” adding, “They are taking advantage of direct and indirect support from the Chinese government to market the global market with an ultra-low price strategy. “While taking control, there will be significant side effects as e-commerce platforms around the world are threatened and small businesses are devastated,” he said.
[김제관 기자 / 박창영 기자]
2024-03-15 08:55:42
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