What: Temu’s partnership with La Poste introduces new local-to-local logistics services for French sellers as EU authorities tighten oversight of Chinese e-commerce imports.

Why it is important: This partnership reflects the growing influence of Chinese e-commerce in France and the urgent need for regulatory adaptation, as highlighted by recent EU reforms.

The agreement between La Poste and Temu marks a significant development in the French retail logistics sector, enabling French sellers on Temu to benefit from enhanced shipping, collection, and return solutions. This collaboration arrives as Chinese e-commerce platforms, notably Shein and Temu, command a substantial share of France’s parcel flows, intensifying competition for local retailers and prompting regulatory intervention. The European Union has responded to the surge in low-value Chinese imports by introducing new handling fees and stricter compliance requirements, aiming to create a more balanced competitive environment for European businesses. Temu’s rapid growth, fueled by its Consumer-to-Manufacturer model and aggressive pricing, is now facing increased scrutiny from both regulators and the public, especially as concerns mount over product safety and the sustainability of ultra-fast fashion. French policymakers and retailers are adapting to these shifts, with some expressing resistance to the expanding presence of fast-fashion giants. As the regulatory landscape evolves, operational innovations like the La Poste-Temu partnership are reshaping the dynamics of the European retail market.

IADS Notes: In April 2025, the surge in Asian e-commerce parcels prompted France and the EU to introduce stricter customs controls and new compliance fees, with Shein and Temu accounting for a quarter of online fashion sales (Journal du Net, April 2025). By May 2025, the EU imposed a €2 fee on low-value parcels to manage the influx, with 91% of 4.6 billion such packages coming from China (Inside Retail, May 2025). In July 2025, the European Commission accused Temu of breaching digital safety rules (Financial Times, July 2025). The same period witnessed growing backlash against fast-fashion expansion in France, as documented in October 2025 (Inside Retail, October 2025), and mounting regulatory challenges to Temu’s business model, highlighted in March 2025 (The Diplomat, March 2025).

La Poste and Temu have signed a logistics partnership for French sellers on the Chinese platform