Seoul asks Temu, AliExpress to pull children's products over safety concerns

Seoul: The Seoul city government has asked online retail giants Temu and AliExpress to suspend sales of certain children s products over safety concer...

Seoul: The Seoul city government has asked online retail giants Temu and AliExpress to suspend sales of certain children's products over safety concerns, saying Friday that some goods far exceeded local limits for hazardous substances.

Chinese e-commerce titans like Shein, Temu and AliExpress have seen a surge in global popularity in recent years, drawing in consumers with a wide range of trendy, ultra-low-cost fashion and accessories -- positioning them as major rivals to US giant Amazon.

Their rapid rise has triggered growing scrutiny over business practices and product safety, including in South Korea.

The Seoul city government said Friday it recently inspected 35 children's products sold on Temu and AliExpress -- including umbrellas, raincoats and rain boots -- and found that 11 failed to meet South Korea's safety standards or contained hazardous substances above local limits.

In six of the umbrellas, phthalate-based plasticisers -- chemicals used to make plastics more flexible -- were found at levels far exceeding safety standards, the city said in a statement.