The Seoul government found no toxic heavy metals in Shein, AliExpress baby products

A children’s watch sold through Shein, a Chinese cross-border shopping website, contained lead 278 times the safety standard. (SEOUL METHOPOLITICAL GOVERNMENT)

A children’s watch sold through a Chinese e-commerce platform contained toxic substances at concentrations 278 times higher than the permissible level.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on Thursday that a children’s watch and necklace sold on Chinese cross-border shopping platforms Shein and AliExpress contain toxic heavy metals. Of the seven products inspected this week, which included hair bands and bracelets, both products contained toxic substances.

The watch sold through Shein contained heavy metals such as lead and chromium. The crown of the watch contained lead 278 times above the permitted level, while the back of the watch contained 3.4 times more chromium and 4.4 times more nickel than the permitted safety level. The pendant on the problematic necklace also contained lead at 1.17 times the standard.

Exposure to high levels of lead can cause reproductive problems. City officials have said that for pregnant women, lead exposure can affect the fetus, increasing the likelihood of the child developing behavioral and learning problems. The International Agency for Research on Cancer also classifies lead as a “possible human carcinogen.”

Exposure to chromium can cause non-allergic skin irritation, while exposure to nickel can cause allergic reactions such as skin redness and itchy rashes.

The children’s pendant necklace contained lead at levels 1.17 times higher than the standard, according to an inspection by the Seoul Metropolitan Government. (SEOUL METHOPOLITICAL GOVERNMENT)

Since the last week of April, city authorities have been cracking down on harmful products on China’s main cross-border shopping platforms and releasing lists of them. The list is available on the city authorities’ website. Consumers can also submit reports to the Seoul E-Commerce Center or the 120 Dansan call center.

The metropolitan government plans to inspect children’s leather goods next week and food containers in June. The city authorities also promised to extend controls to other cross-border websites often used by domestic consumers.

Cross-border purchases by domestic consumers increased 28.3 percent from 2022, from 5.3 trillion won ($3.9 billion) in 2022 to 6.8 trillion won last year. Almost half of purchases come from Chinese platforms. In February, AliExpress’s monthly active users in Korea reached 8.18 million, making it the second-largest e-commerce company after Coupang.

CHO JUNG-WOO ([email protected])