Texas has launched a probe into Shein, accusing it of selling unsafe, toxic products to US consumers.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a Monday news release that his office was investigating the fast-fashion giant for potential violations of Texas law, “related to unethical labor practices and the sale of unsafe consumer products.”
Paxton referenced Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” campaign in the release, saying that safe and non-toxic products were a key ingredient in the movement.
“Any company that cuts corners on labor standards or product safety, especially those operating in foreign nations like China, will be held accountable,” Paxton said in the release.
Shein is headquartered in Singapore and sources many of its products from China.
“Texans deserve to know that the companies they buy from are ethical, safe, transparent, and not exploiting workers or selling harmful products. I will not allow cheap, dangerous, foreign goods to flood America and jeopardize our health,” Paxton said.
The release said that the investigation will also examine Shein’s data collection and privacy practices.
Representatives for Shein did not respond to a request for comment about the Texas investigation from Business Insider.
This is the latest setback that Shein is facing in the US, its largest market.
Since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term, his administration has cracked down on the de minimis trade loophole, which previously allowed low-cost parcels to enter the country tax-free. Shein said in April that it would raise prices to account for higher operating expenses, a result of changes in trade laws.
Paxton, who is running for Senate in 2026, is not the first government official globally to launch a probe into Shein.
South Korean health officials raised concerns several times last year about Shein’s products containing toxic substances above legal limits. In response to the probes, Shein told Singaporean outlet The Straits Times in June 2024 that it had removed the offending products from its catalogue.
In May, the European Commission said it had investigated Shein’s practices and found that the company had breached EU law by offering fake discounts, using deceptive product labels, and making misleading sustainability claims.
Shein also came under fire in France in early November for selling childlike sex dolls and illegal weapons on its third-party marketplace in the country, per a Reuters report. France suspended the marketplace shortly after.
The European Commission said on Wednesday that it had sent a request to Shein to provide evidence that it would not expose minors to inappropriate content and that it would prevent the circulation of illegal products.
A Shein spokesperson told Politico that the company had received the request and was “working to promptly address it.”
