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 plasticizers — chemicals used to make plastics more flexible — were found at levels far exceeding safety standards, the city said in a statement.
Some of those products exceeded the domestic safety limit by up to 443.5 times for the chemical, while two items were found to contain lead at levels up to 27.7 times higher than the locally acceptable level.
Based on the inspection results, the Seoul government said it “has requested that online platforms suspend sales of the non-compliant products.”
It also noted that “prolonged exposure to harmful substances can affect children’s growth and health,” and highlighted the need to carefully review product information before making purchases.
The Seoul government told AFP the retailers have no legal obligations to comply with their request.
But Temu said it “immediately initiated an internal review” after receiving notice from the city government, and that it was “in the process of removing the said items.”
“We are continuously improving on our quality control system to prevent, detect, and remove non-compliant products,” a Temu spokesperson told AFP.
AliExpress did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Phthalate-based plasticizers can cause endocrine disorders, while lead exposure above safety limits can impair reproductive functions and increase the risk of cancer, according to Seoul authorities.
Last year, the city government said women’s accessories sold by Shein, AliExpress and Temu contained toxic substances sometimes hundreds of times above acceptable levels.
The European Union last year added Shein to its list of digital firms that are big enough to come under stricter safety rules — including measures to protect customers from unsafe products, especially those that could be harmful to minors.
Seoul asks Temu, AliExpress to pull children’s products over safety concerns
Seoul asks Temu, AliExpress to pull children’s products over safety concerns
Dubai Capitals move up to second in ILT20 table with six-wicket win over Gulf Giants
- Rahman turned the match on its head in the 14th over, claiming three wickets in quick succession to derail the Giants’ innings
ABU DHABI: Dubai Capitals strengthened their push for a top-two finish in the International League T20 with a composed six-wicket victory over Gulf Giants at Zayed Cricket Stadium on Sunday, condemning the Giants to a fourth successive defeat.
A decisive all-round display, led by Mustafizur Rahman’s devastating spell with the ball and calm contributions from Shayan Jahangir and Rovman Powell in the chase, saw the Capitals climb to second in the points table.
Rahman turned the match on its head in the 14th over, claiming three wickets in quick succession to derail the Giants’ innings. Although James Vince (36 off 34 balls) and Azmatullah Omarzai (43 off 26) had looked threatening during the middle overs, the left-arm pacer’s intervention reduced the Giants from a position of promise to eventual collapse, as they were bowled out for 156.
In reply, Jahangir anchored the chase with a measured 48 from 44 deliveries, providing stability after an initially brisk start. Powell then finished the job with an unbeaten 47 off 31 balls, striking one four and three sixes to guide the Capitals home with an over to spare.
The Capitals began cautiously, with Jahangir lifting the tempo through early boundaries as they reached 33 without loss after four overs. The momentum briefly swung back in the fifth over when Omarzai removed Sediqullah Atal (9 off 10) and Jordan Cox (0 off 2), leaving the Capitals 42/2 at the end of the powerplay.
With the Giants’ spinners tightening the screws, runs were hard to come by through the middle phase. Jahangir held the innings together, finding support from Leus du Plooy (22 off 15), before Fred Klaassen bowled him just as the partnership began to build. At halfway, the Capitals were 68/3, requiring 89 from the final 10 overs.
Jahangir’s dismissal in the 15th over briefly threatened to stall the chase, but Powell ensured there was no panic, pacing his innings expertly. Mohammad Nabi then applied the finishing touches, scoring an unbeaten 25 off 14 balls, levelling the scores with a four before sealing victory with a six in the final over.
Earlier, the Giants had made a flying start through Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who struck 25 from 11 balls as his side surged to 39 without loss after three overs. Haider Ali halted the momentum by removing Gurbaz in the fourth over and later dismissed Lorcan Tucker (1 off 4), while Nabi accounted for Moeen Ali (7 off 6) as the Giants reached 53/3 at the end of the powerplay.
Vince and Omarzai then combined to steady the innings, adding 66 runs in 46 balls to push the Giants beyond the halfway mark. However, Rahman’s return proved decisive as he removed Vince, Omarzai and Sean Dickson (0 off 1) in a dramatic 14th over, exposing the lower order.
Kyle Mayers (24 off 20) and Mark Adair (12 off 12) attempted a late rally, but confusion between the wickets proved costly. A remarkable final over saw a hat-trick of run-outs as the Giants collapsed from 152/7 to be dismissed for 156.
Capitals stand-in captain Nabi praised his side’s collective effort.
“It was a complete team performance,” he said. “They started strongly, but Mustafizur’s over changed the game. Haider was excellent in the powerplay and Fizz really shifted the momentum. Rovman paced the chase superbly and made sure we stayed in control.”
Giants skipper Vince admitted his side’s struggles continued.
“It’s been a familiar pattern,” he said. “We get into good positions but lose two or three wickets quickly when one falls. That puts pressure on the rest of the batters and makes it difficult to finish the innings strongly.”
