Products sold by online Chinese retailers like Shein and Temu may be cheap and appealing, but a new report is revealing concerns about baby and toddler items. The report found that some of these products could be deadly, and until recently, they were easy to find on sites like Temu and Shein.
Some products are even currently banned in the U.S., such as padded crib bumpers on Temu. The product was deemed a suffocation risk. A recall notice further noted that around 125 of these units were sold in the U.S. in 2022 and 2023.
Another item, this time on Shein, saw children’s drawstring hoodies banned for a potential strangulation hazard. Coats that contained 20 times the allowable lead limit were also found.
At a recent congressional hearing, officials with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission raised concerns about the risk posed by platforms like Shein and Temu. The group requested additional funding to better monitor product listings and imports. Concerns also exist over data, sourcing and trade loopholes.
Issues with children’s products from China have been reported in South Korea and Canada, not just in the U.S. Shein has reportedly responded by enforcing swift actions against non-compliant products.
Concerns over the mislabeling of products has also been brought to the forefront. One example includes a baby lounger on Temu that was described and mislabeled as a pet bed. Temu later removed the flagged items and claims to have launched an internal review.
Both Temu and Shein say they’re taking steps to address these issues. Regardless, consumer advocacy groups are urging shoppers to be cautious when buying these online products.
