These efforts underscore Shein’s dedication to ensuring product safety and meeting regulatory obligations across various markets.
The company has broadened its product evaluation procedures by forging stronger relationships with 15 globally recognised product testing organisations.
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Shein anticipates an investment of approximately $15m in compliance activities for the year 2025. This investment will support an ambitious goal of conducting over 2.5 million product safety and quality assessments within the year, marking a 25% increment from the previous year.
The company claims its product safety protocol to comply with pertinent laws and regulations, as well as the company’s internal safety standards that correspond with regulatory and industry benchmarks, such as the US Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA) and EU General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR).
This comprehensive system spans pre-sale, during-sale, and post-sale processes to ensure continuous oversight of product safety and regulatory compliance.
In 2025, Shein intends to strategically allocate resources to enhance visibility in compliance management through several initiatives:
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By GlobalDataStandards and policies:
Shein mandates that all vendors, including manufacturing partners and third-party sellers, adhere to relevant product safety laws and regulations, as well as Shein’s established controls and standards. This includes the Shein Restricted Substances List (RSL) and vendor codes of conduct.
The company claims to maintain an ‘approved’ materials library that meets company policies and standards. This library has now been expanded to include compliant trims and accessories for Shein-branded apparel products.
To be included in the approved materials, fabrics and fixings must fulfil and comply with chemical safety standards such as:
Fabric control: High-risk fabrics like PU must pass RSL testing before inclusion in the approved materials library. From April 2025 onwards, all fabrics intended for children’s apparel under Shein brands will undergo chemical and flammability testing during onboarding.
Trims and accessories controls: An additional compliance tracking system has been introduced for trims and accessories of finished garments to strengthen control over SHEIN-branded apparel from the sourcing stage.
Shein says it updates its standards and policies on a regular basis by assessing compliance regulations across the globe.
The company’s policy requires vendors to submit necessary documentation for products falling into specific categories. By May 2025, Shein will enhance compliance measures by increasing checks on test reports, labels, and certifications such as RoHS for the EU and FCC for the US.
SGS China e-commerce team deputy director Joy Jia said: “Shein is a long-term customer of SGS, and we have been working together since 2021 to strengthen the compliance control of Shein products.
“Our cooperation with Shein has been deepening year by year, covering quality testing of textiles, toys, and accessories. SGS also looks forward to further cooperation with Shein in the future, aiming to continuously improve the compliance and quality of Shein products in target markets, thereby winning the favour of more consumers.”
Dynamic Evaluations
Vendors undergo dynamic evaluations based on factors like testing pass rates and negative feedback rates. Non-compliant vendors face consequences ranging from listing removals to partnership terminations.
Since its launch, Shein has already terminated relationships with over 540 sellers who failed to meet compliance standards since launching its marketplace.
Shein compliance global head Chris Pan said: “Product safety is not an empty promise made to our customers. It is a consistent and sustained effort by Shein, as a responsible global company. As the breadth and depth of our product offerings grow, Shein is invested in building systems and partnerships that enhance the company’s product compliance protocols. It is a challenge, but it is one that we can and will overcome.”
