Temu clothing

I don’t know Chardy the answer to your question but I am clued up enough to know that even good high street names do use cheaper overseas labour, however I believe Temu is in a league if it’s own and especially with Chinas treatment of the Uyghurs, that is just so bad, and I ve lived with the Chinese and I ve liked them, but this is unacceptable on any level, I just think everyone who buys off Temu should know how they get an item for such a small price, I d rather shop at a charity shop
Speaking of Charity shops ours doesn’t sell Shein either, but the amount that come in to us still in packets never opened or even tried on, its a lot, all going to the rag man and for that people have sweated all hours, locked away from their families, their children without their mums, it’s sickening.
That’s all I know

No, it doesn't have factories but it does apparently check its own supply chain now - and lots of sellers don't do this - or fudge it.

Bluebelle I've never used Temu!!

I've vague recollection of a factory that made lacy bras. Half were sold by street market traders, the other half had the label of a well-known High St shop sewn in and ended up being sold at double the price.

My point is that 'own brand' anything is most likely made in the similar or even the same factories as branded items. Has Amazon got its own bra factory, its own battery factory etc?

Amazon is focused on it's own brands these days. It doesn't do as much about stuff it just delivers and we all remember horrible warehouse stories of poor working conditions but their own brands are more transparent and, I believe, much better "policed" than Temu.

I just looked these own-brands up and in the UK there are currently quite a few:

Amazon Basics - The most common brand. Includes batteries, cables, kitchen gadgets, towels, and office supplies.
​Solimo - Primarily "consumables" such as coffee pods, razor blades, and food storage bags.
​Presto! - Cleaning and paper products (toilet roll, kitchen towels etc)
​Denal - hand tools and power tool accessories.
​Umi - "lifestyle" type products, from picture frames to small furniture.
​^Amazon Essentials^ - Their main brand for "basics" (t-shirts, trousers, underwear).
​^Iris & Lilly^ - lingerie, swimwear, and nightwear.
​^Core 10^ - Gym and activewear.

Hope this helps - as Amazon's problems are mostly around 3rd party sellers.
Own brand stuff is much better monitored.

Obviously anything with (say) lithium in it is questionable - as someone said upthread but you can select out the 3rd party sellers via the "Filters" menu. The Amazon ones are labelled "Our Brands" or "Amazon Brands" in the filters.

Temu is like Amazon - an overall company who use many,many different manufacturers. You should not buy from Amazon, either because they probably use slave labour too. So do most of the large companies .

If you want to buy exactly the same described product from a different source the product can vary in both size and quality. I guess that can be the case even if bought from the source because it really depends on where items are manufactured.

Chardy that’s like equating a factory worker with a slave.

Of course I buy stuff made in China because it would be hard not too, but Temu is notorious for its treatment of ethnic minorities they don’t care if they die on the job they are worthless to them apart from working . They are taken from their children, they are sacrificed, they have to live in working villages they have to work long daily hours and weeks without a break.
They are enslaved
Many places don’t have such easy hours, work and pay as the western world, but Temu is in another league altogether
I hope the EU makes a worthy decision
If you are happy with that for your cheap clothes and tat so be it, I can’t change your mind, but read up about it first, then see whether you still want to turn a blind eye.

In this globally connected world making ethical buying choices gets harder and harder. We all draw our lines in different places, but in the final analysis someone somewhere is being exploited. It is an impossible conundrum.

To answer Sikipoo's question, I dropped in on a craft friend last week to collect something.
'I love your jumper. Did you make it?'' Fine yarn, very unusual design
'No, it's Temu'

My story. When I was expecting (we're going back a bit here!), I bought assorted baggy Indian clothes off a market stall. I said something to the stall-holder about feeling guilty I'd got such a bargain when those who'd made them were so poor. He replied that if I hadn't bought the clothes, they'd have been even poorer. I remember that from the late 80s!

If you watch Dragons Den on BBC, one of the Dragons,Touker Suleyman, whenever he asks how much something cost to produce he always says I can get that done cheaper in China or India, He is connected to Ghost and Hawkes & Curtis two big name brands , so nobody is having goods made in the UK or even Europe they are made in one of Asian countries, so what is the difference. Although I haven't bought from either them or Shein I know people who have and they say they have been happy for the price.Wales

I don't know anyone who has bought from Temu .
I often see the three twenty somethings who live next door and they buy most of their clothes from Shein and are always happy .

A couple of years ago I watched a YouTube video made by a woman who worked at Temu. She described the conditions she worked under, including being made to work 6 long days a week, every week. If she didn't, she would not receive her wages. If she didn't meet her targets, she would not receive her wages.

Both Shein and Temu suppliers have a history of stealing designs from other people - Shein has been taken to court over it a number of times but I don't know the outcomes.

I long ago accepted that some things I buy will come from China but can at least avoid Shein and Temu. Fortunately for me I don't buy much, but prefer if I can to keep my money in the UK.

I do think the clothing is particularly an issue Cossy though. It is this that's being discussed mostly in the EU.

I'm not saying that everything else is just fine but I would be very wary regarding clothes.

It’s also not all cheap plastic “toot” from TEMU, I’ve got some rather nice glass candle holders, and some great crockery.

Whilst I accept some of you choose not to shop with TEMU for ethical reasons, that’s your choice.

It’s increasing hard and very expensive to buy only British (ethical) goods.

You could see if yours is from say, a B Corp company though, Sapphire.

The fashion industry is notorious for ripping off designs as well as buying cheap fabrics etc.
And not everything made in China is slave labour.

I would never buy from TEMU because of the working conditions. I'm also concerned for the amount of cheap plastic items being produced. I go to a music festival each year, and all my friends get their cheap festival accessories from TEMU which are then dumped and re-purchased the following year. I have to bite my tongue! Having said that, I attend a formal ball annually and last year bought a new, long evening dress from a reputable company in the UK which cost me £175. A friend described her new dress from TEMU and it was almost identical to mine but cost £35. At the event I would have loved to have looked at the seams etc, because at a distance the dresses looked identical. I still won't buy from TEMU but I felt as though I had been ripped off - and on looking at my label, yes, my dress was made in China. I'm hoping mine will last for quite a few years; but I know my friend may donate hers to charity as it was so cheap and she'll probably have a new design for next year. I'll be wearing mine until it drops off my back!

Petra
Yes,
I've just read your link and see that
the company says profiting from a Temu partnership - but of course they are profit-driven.

I've had a quick look at Purston Park (who ate importers after all) abd tried to see how they audit. I can't find any evidence that they make their own independent/transparent factory reports.

I think they are essentially asking you to "trust" a Temu supply chain that international governments are currently investigating for forced labour.

Reka Nana8 and others you can justify it as much as you like I won’t justify it by saying maybe someone else is worse off.

It’s not about cheap labour it’s the conditions particularly the Uyghurs are kept in, it is modern day slavery and if you’re comfortable with that to get cheap goods that’s for you, I m not. I was like you all at first until I read into it and saw what was happening and the conditions to justify a cheap bit of clothing on my back
Thankyou Notspaghetti I thought I was a lone voice here

You are right of course REKA - but this thread was about Temu clothes.

www.nottingham.ac.uk/news/blood-batteries

So we wouldnt buy from Temu.

But most of us will have smartphones, laptops. A few will have electric cars. So on and so forth.

Take a look at cobalt mines in the Congo and the horrendous conditions these people/children are working in. I'm pretty sure they'd rather be working for Temu.

Re Temu

​The Uyghur Forced Labour Prevention Act is a legal threat to Temu in the USA as any product with components from the Xinjiang is now assumed to be made with forced labour.
To sell in the US, a company must now prove the negative.
Cotton in many Temu products has been tested scientifically and despite protestations is found to have been grown there.

Temu isn't yet banned, but many of its suppliers were added to the "Entity List" in 2025, making it a federal crime for Temu to ship their goods into the US.

​The EU is ahead of America closing loopholes. They have a Forced Labour Regulation which bans the sale of any product made with forced labor—regardless of where it comes from and they are doing "Mystery Shopping" Investigations into Temu under the Digital Services Act .
They preliminarily found that Temu was failing to prevent "illegal products" (including those linked to human rights abuses) from reaching EU.

By June 2026, the EU has promised to launch a central database of "high-risk products and regions." Temu’s primary sourcing hubs are expected to be at the top of this list.

In America some states (eg Nebraska) are now suing Temu for more than just labor; they are targeting their "deceptive" business model as apparently the app’s coding is designed to evade forensic tools and hide the true origin of its goods -specifically stating forced labour areas.

Temu recently paid a $2 million civil penalty for failing to disclose the true identities and addresses of their high-volume sellers to the EU and to the USA.

​For years, Temu has been using a legal "cheat" to avoid inspections at ports of entry. This is alongside sending small parcels under the "investigation weight"

New legislation in both the EU and USA has nearly ended this "free pass." Customs now require digital manifests for every parcel over (I think) 6 euros.
This has slowed Temu's shipping speeds and exposed thousands of forced labour products to then be disposed of.
I think the USA is following suit.

Re the UK Lots will change on April 7th when the UK will be catching up.
Good!

I would not buy from Temu.

Sikipoo

Has anyone bought clothes from Temu and if so were you pleased and would you order again.
Also are the sizes reliable.
Thanks

You have to understand that temu doesn’t produce anything.
They are a platform for companies all over the world.
Unlike Shien who do manufacture the goods they advertise.
A lot of British companies advertise on temu.
The irony is: the goods they advertise are 99% made in China 🤷‍♀️
www.linkedin.com/posts/edwardchary_temu-drives-big-demand-as-british-businesses-activity-7336691864785354754-29su

twiglet77

I would never buy from Temu, there is no justification for supporting cheap Chinese labour. I read the labels on absolutely everything I buy, even clothes on Vinted, and try very hard to avoid Chinese-made products whenever there is an alternative.

All very commendable but clothes/items labelled "made in UK" (or elsewhere) are likely made from Chinese manufactured material.

Jaxjacky

Not for me, generally pretty cheap to buy, so encourages adding to the tons of landfill every year.
I’d rather make do, buy second hand or buy less of better quality.

My feelings exactly.
We can't expect smaller British businesses to survive if we don't support them