• The US Consumer Products Safety Commission is looking to launch an investigation into Temu and Shein after both platforms reportedly sold dangerous baby products.
• The investigation will also seek to find out of these platforms are complying with US regulations.
• Temu faced a similar legal issue in Europe earlier this year.

The United States Consumer Products Safety Commission is calling for an investigation into both Shein and Temu, Asian fast-fashion and aggressively priced product ecommerce powerhouses, after it says “deadly baby and toddler products” were sold on both websites.

“Today, we are calling on U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission staff to evaluate e
commerce platforms Shein, Temu, and others to determine how these foreign-owned firms that
rely on overseas suppliers to meet their obligations under the Consumer Product Safety Act,” reads a joint statement (PDF) from Commissioners Peter Feldman and Douglas Dziak.

“Shein and Temu raise specific concerns. We are aware of recent media reports that deadly baby
and toddler products are easy to find on these platforms,” they add.

The statement doesn’t expand on what “deadly” products are being sold on the platforms exactly, only that it is the commission’s mandate to protect customers from items that “pose an unreasonable risk of injury.”

The commissioners want an investigation into Shein, Temu and other foreign ecommerce firms operating in the US in order to sus out if these platforms are complying with their product safety rules, as well as how they handle third-party resellers.

“We seek to better understand these firms, particularly their focus on low-value direct-to-consumer – sometimes called de minimis – shipments and the enforcement challenges when firms with little or no U.S. presence distribute consumer products through these platforms,” the statement continues.

“De Minimis” is a rule in the US that exempts packages valued at $800 or less from additional tariffs if they are shipped directly to shoppers. Reuters points out that critics in the US have said that the De Minimis rule is likely what has led to the success of both platforms in the country, alongside the very cheap products they sell.

Across the globe, Temu found itself in legal issues with the European Union in May this year, where a complaint against the platform alleged that it failed to show where it sources its products and that it uses “dark patterns” or manipulative UI design to get customers to spend more money.

“Temu strives to provide innovative and convenient services to consumers while prioritizing their safety. We operate with integrity and are guided by a core set of values that always puts consumers first. We are ready to cooperate swiftly and diligently with stakeholders to ensure consumer safety and the sustainable growth of the platform,” Temu told Hypertext in a statement at the time.