Rick Scott, Ashley Moody seek crackdown on Temu, citing forced labor and potential spying

An online retailer with connections to Beijing doesn’t align with Florida Republicans’ national security vision.

Both U.S. Sen. Rick Scott and Attorney General Ashley Moody are raising concerns about Temu, including their allegedly nefarious production practices.

“A congressional investigation uncovered that Temu may be illegally selling products made with forced labor in an area of China in which the Chinese Communist Party is committing genocide,” Moody said.

“Additionally, there are reports that Temu is gathering U.S. consumer information and passing it along to the CCP. These reports are alarming — not only on a consumer protection front but in regards to national security as well.”

A House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party report estimates that Temu and Shein, a fast fashion company similar to Temu, account for more than 30% of all packages valued at less than $800 that came into the U.S. in 2022, according to Globalaffairs.org. Temu specifically is a subsidiary of the Chinese e-commerce website Pinduoduo, and is owned by a company with the same name. 

The congressional report noted both Temu and Shein are taking advantage of a U.S. shipping law to sidestep tariffs and a law that protects against force labor on cotton products. 

Moody also referred to a letter sent with fellow Attorneys General to Temu and PDD Holdings demanding more detail.

“On many fronts these reports are startling, and our offices remain committed to protecting our citizens from harmful business practices like these. If uncorrected, we will consider all available measures to protect our citizens,” the letter vows.

The message from the Attorneys General follows Scott’s outreach to Department of Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo on the same situation.

“The rapid rise of Temu represents a new challenge in our ongoing efforts to ensure fair trade and protect American consumers and businesses,” Scott contended, asking for a meeting with the Joe Biden Cabinet official to discuss these and related issues further.

Scott holds “apprehensions” over Temu products’ “safety and quality,” along with “reports of unsafe working conditions, labor abuses, and human rights violations associated with production of products for Temu.”

He also has concerns over American companies’ inability to compete due to the “exploitation of loopholes” in import agreements, as well as alleged counterfeit goods on the platform and data harvesting on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party.