Paris appeals court rejects France's attempt to suspend Shein's marketplace

Paris: France's attempt to ⁠suspend Chinese online platform Shein's marketplace was rejected by ‌a Paris Court of Appeal ​on Thursday, after another Paris court had already ruled against the government's request in December.

The decision is a win for Shein, which has been embroiled in a scandal since France's consumer watchdog found sex dolls resembling ​children and banned weapons ⁠for sale on its marketplace in November, which prompted the government's legal action.

The December court ruling rejected the government's request to suspend the Shein marketplace in France for three months, but the government ⁠appealed.

Shein sells ‌its own branded clothes on its site but also has a vast marketplace where it allows third-party sellers ‌to list their products.

The appeals court upheld the earlier court's ruling that Shein may ⁠not sell such products on its marketplace again without adequate age verification measures.

"The appeals court confirmed the ‌judgement in all its dispositions, and rejected the other ‌demands presented by the State," the court said in a ‌statement.

Since the findings in France, Shein no longer sells ‌adult products in any of its markets, and is rolling out age verification measures for other products, a Shein spokesperson said.

Shein said in a statement after Thursday's ruling: "Over ⁠the last several ⁠months, we have continued to significantly reinforce our controls for both sellers and products on our marketplace, to ensure that our consumers in France can enjoy a safe and enjoyable online shopping experience."

The company said it has maintained a "close dialogue" with French and European authorities.

Shein is still likely to face government pressure in France. The ​country's minister for small and medium-sized businesses last month said online ​retailers like Shein will ​face a "year of resistance", saying the platform can sell at rock-bottom prices thanks to a loophole ​that enables unfair competition with European retailers.