French cosmetics facing delays clearing China customs, says industry association

Some French ​cosmetics exports are facing delays ‌clearing customs ​in China, one of the industry's top markets, Marc-Antoine Jamet, president of industry association ‌Cosmetic Valley, told reporters on Wednesday. The delays follow implementation of a penalty introduced by France last month on fast fashion imports and ‌a tax on small parcel deliveries in the European Union, ‌said Jamet.

China's commerce ministry had expressed concern over the fast-fashion law, saying in July that it imposed discriminatory restrictions on Chinese cross-border e-commerce platforms and warning ⁠it ​would take necessary ⁠countermeasures if its companies' interests were harmed. Some members of the association estimated ⁠around 15% of their products were stuck in customs, said Jamet,

"The small ​parcel tax and the French penalty on ultra fast fashion ⁠has led very directly to these delays in delivery, and registration," he said. China ⁠is ​the second largest market for French cosmetic exports, worth €1.8 billion last year, out of a total €22.4 billion. The industry ⁠is also under pressure from tariffs introduced by the United States.

China's customs ⁠administration did ⁠not immediately reply to a request for comment out of business hours.