Fashion
In Paris, Europe’s fashion industry closes ranks against ultra-fast fashion
Published
September 17, 2025
A rare group photo. Some twenty* representatives of Europe’s textile and clothing sectors met in Paris on September 16 to sign a declaration committing their various bodies to a joint fight against ultra-fast fashion, and calling on national and European authorities to take action in the face of competition from Shein and Temu.
The signing took place in Villepinte, where the Première Vision Paris trade show runs from September 16 to 18. Behind the expected conviviality among industry peers, a palpable tension surfaced, as the professionals gathered shared a sense of urgency in the face of ultra-low-cost Chinese competition evading all oversight, including customs checks.
This feeling was reinforced by what already looked like a countermove: Shein France announced an agreement with a first French brand that very morning. The announcement had initially been scheduled for Monday, September 15.
In the text signed by the federations, the European institutions are urged to swiftly abolish the duty exemption for small non-EU parcels worth under 150 euros. The federations would also like to see a levy applied to these parcels to fund inspections, alongside VAT collection. The signatories further call for accelerated investigations and penalties under the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act, and for the establishment of a dialogue with the Chinese authorities, whose sustainability objectives diverge from the practices of local platforms.
The document also calls on Member States to adopt national measures to curb, as in France, the marketing activities of ultra-fast-fashion players, while actively supporting textile and clothing companies investing in sustainability, quality and innovation. Consumers are not overlooked in this effort. The joint declaration invites them to favour sustainable products, and to support companies and brands taking part in the sustainable transition of the textile and clothing industry.
“The fashion industry can’t and won’t wait,” warned Pierre-François Le Louët, president of UFIMH (Union Française des Industries Mode & Habillement), who initiated the event.
“We need this battle to be waged country by country, for our federations to take this issue to legislators and the press, and, at EU level, to press the European Commission to move faster,” he continued, noting that France has already passed a “Fast Fashion Law” that now legally defines a business model deemed harmful.
Mario Jorge Machado, president of the European textile industry confederation Euratex, pointed out that this event will help the industry make its voice heard by the European Commission.
“We have to stop being naive and pretending not to see what’s happening to our market: these players are exploiting the fact that we play by the rules,” insisted the industry representative. \
“They take advantage of our brands as well as our consumers. You cannot destroy creativity and intellectual property in this way: it’s unacceptable. Our industry is known for its innovation, quality and design. So we have a lot to defend.”
“Enough is enough,” said Olivier Ducatillion, president of UIT (Union Française des Industries Textiles).
“We are all suffering from this situation. Every time we propose solutions at the local level, we’re told it won’t work because these players will find workarounds at the European level. So we have to find new ways and set our sights wider. Today’s signature is not an end point; it’s a starting point.”
Representatives from the Italian, Portuguese and Dutch sectors took turns at the microphone, each reaffirming the need for action that is as swift as it is coordinated across the sector.
“There was no representative of the European Commission among us this morning, and that’s not down to the organisers,” noted Ralph Kamphöner, who represents the German Textil+Mode federation in Brussels.
The federations estimate that 4.5 billion parcels were imported into Europe last year via Chinese low-cost platforms, a volume that they say now accounts for 5% of clothing sales in Europe and 20% of online clothing sales.
*UFIMH (Union Française des Industries Mode & Habillement), UIT (Union Française des Industries Textiles), Euratex, ATP (Portugal), Chambre du Commerce de Services, Confindustria Moda (Italy), Finnish Textile & Fashion (Finland), TOK (Bulgaria), Modint (Netherlands), WKO (Austria), SEPEE (Greece), LATIA (Lithuania), DM&T (Denmark), Swiss Textiles (Switzerland), Consejo Intertextil Español (Spain), Fedustria (Belgium), Textil+Mode (Germany), ANIVEC-APIV (Portugal), TEKO (Sweden), Creamoda (Belgium), European Flax and Hemp Alliance, and PIOT (Poland).
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According to the informal agreement, there will be a new handling fee for each item entering the EU from non-EU countries and sent directly to EU consumers, to cover the extra cost of handling an ever-increasing number of individual parcels.
This will be paid by the same entity responsible for paying other customs charges for the same parcel, to avoid shifting the cost to consumers.
The European Parliament and European Council have reached a deal on a major reform of the EU Customs Code to address problems relating to e-commerce, safety of goods and efficiency.
A new handling fee will be charged for each item entering the EU from non-EU nations and sent directly to EU consumers.
The European Commission will establish the level of the fee and reassess it every two years.
The European Commission will establish the level of the fee and reassess it every two years. Member states will start collecting it as soon as the necessary information technology (IT) system becomes operational, and in any case no later than November 1, this year.
Under the new rules, sellers and platforms that facilitate distance sales of goods from non-EU countries directly to EU customers will be treated as importers. This will oblige them to provide customs authorities with all the necessary data, pay or guarantee any charges, and make sure that the goods comply with EU laws, an official release said.
These companies must be established in the EU or be represented by an EU-based entity having either authorised economic operator (AEO) or trusted trader status. This should prevent the use of shell companies.
To incentivise bulk shipments that are easier for customs authorities to check, non-EU country sellers and platforms are encouraged to operate warehouses in the EU. Their intra-EU client shipments would benefit from a lower handling fee, provided their goods were imported in collective packaging and large enough quantities to make customs checks more efficient.
Companies that repeatedly ignore EU rules could be punished with a fine of at least 1 per cent (and up to 6 per cent) of the total value of goods imported into the EU in the previous 12 months.
Additionally, customs authorities may suspend, revoke, or annul their trusted trader or AEO status and flag them as high-risk operators.
Import-export companies that follow the rules and agree to cooperate transparently with the customs authorities may benefit from a simplified ‘trust and check’ regime. This would initially require them to go through thorough vetting and grant customs authorities access to their electronic systems.
In exchange, their shipments would be checked less frequently and they would have more flexibility regarding the payment of duties and fees.
The current AEO qualification will remain in place to keep customs status accessible to smaller economic operators.
The reform also establishes a new customs data hub to be managed by the new EU Customs Authority (EUCA). It will be available for optional use by 2031 and mandatory by 2034.
The data hub will replace at least 111 software systems currently used by customs.
The provisional agreement needs to be officially approved by Parliament in plenary as well as by the EU Council, before it will become law.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
This was driven by an 8.36-per cent YoY decline in import volume and a 7.76-per cent YoY decrease in average unit prices.
The EU’s apparel imports fell by 15.48 per cent YoY in January to €7.03 billion, according to Eurostat.
Bangladesh’s apparel exports to the EU fell to €1.43 billion in January—a 25.25-per cent drop in value.
China remained the top exporter of apparel to the EU (€2.22 billion), but still saw a 6.9-per cent decline YoY in value.
India, Pakistan, Vietnam and Cambodia also remained in negative territory.
Bangladesh’s apparel exports to the bloc fell to €1.43 billion in January—a sharp 25.25-per cent drop in value. It saw a 17.49-per cent YoY decrease in the quantity of goods shipped, coupled with a 9.41 per cent drop in the unit price per kilogram.
China remained the top exporter of apparel to the EU (€2.22 billion), but still saw a 6.9-per cent decline YoY in value. Its unit prices dropped by 8.01 per cent YoY, while its export volume grew a bit by 1.21 per cent YoY.
Turkey faced a severe hit with a 29.12-per cent YoY decrease in apparel export value to the EU in the month, totaling €619.98 million.
Other countries like India, Pakistan, Vietnam and Cambodia remained in negative territory, reflecting a broad-based slowdown in the European fashion retail market.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
India’s textile outlook is turning structurally complex.
The EU pact targets ~99.5 per cent trade coverage with phased duty relief, while rupee weakness supports exports.
However, crude volatility, >80 per cent import energy dependence, polyester cost inflation and US market softness (≈28 per cent share) are fragmenting performance, reinforcing a shift towards cotton-led, EU-focused exporters.
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