France's fast fashion bill risks blowback from China, experts warn
France's proposed crackdown on ultra-fast fashion risks derailing billions of euros in trade with China, as experts accuse the bill of targeting Chinese e-commerce giants under the veneer of environmental concern.
They made the comments as the bill, now under heated debate in the French National Assembly, claims to address the environmental footprint of cheap, disposable clothing. But its wording and intention have sharpened into singling out e-commerce giants like Shein, Temu and AliExpress, all of which are deeply embedded in China's garment supply chain.
"This isn't about sustainability anymore," said Wang Peng, a researcher at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences. "It's about weaponizing policy to suppress rising Chinese players and destabilize global free trade."
The French Trade Council and the Confederation of French Trade are among the most vocal backers. In a joint open letter, supported by 14 federations and over 230 brands, they called for the government to immediately delist the three Chinese platforms, claiming that "85 percent to 95 percent" of their goods fail to meet EU standards.
But critics argue the legislation is too targeted to be purely environmental. Chen Jin, professor of the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, said that instead of regulating environmental impact across the board, the bill seems surgically designed to curb China's growing dominance in fast fashion.
It also echoed Audrey Millet, a fashion historian and University of Oslo scholar who was nominated for the Renaudot Essay Prize in 2022, who said that the bill is no longer about sustainability and it is possibly aimed at galvanizing votes ahead of the European Parliament elections.
France has long relied on China as its top clothing supplier. According to the French Institute for Economic Research, the proposed bill could hike clothing prices by?5 to 10 euros per item—costs that would likely fall on French consumers.
"Hostile policy moves like this won't just hurt Chinese firms," Wang warned. "They'll hit French shoppers and shake the very foundation of bilateral trade".
Those foundations are already showing cracks. In February 2025, French cognac exports to China plummeted 72 percent year-on-year, according to Socialist Party lawmaker Fabrice Barusseau, who represents France's cognac-producing region. China accounts for a quarter of France's total cognac sales.
Beyond spirits, Chinese consumers are propping up France's entire luxury sector. LVMH's top executive also warned French lawmakers that 80 percent of French cognac exports are sold in just two markets—China and the US—and that continued hostilities could upend the industry.
Chinese consumers have fueled a historic rally in France's CAC 40 index, with LVMH, Hermès, Kering and L'Oréal accounting for over a third of the index's gains in 2023.
"If Paris insists on pushing forward with a bill that's seen as discriminatory and politically charged, Beijing won't stay silent," said Wang. "And when the response comes, it won't just be Shein, Temu and Aliexpress that feel the sting—it could be French luxury brands, too."
