Two Republican senators urge the Biden administration to investigate and ban the overseas version of the Chinese e-commerce platform Pinduoduo, known as Temu.
Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton and Senator Marco Rubio wrote separate letters to the Biden administration expressing their concerns about Temu, stating that the company is involved in forced labor and intellectual property theft, threatening American manufacturers, investors, online retailers, and the personal privacy of Americans.
In his public letter on Monday, Cotton wrote, “Just like TikTok and other intrusive Chinese applications, Temu has no place in the United States. It threatens American manufacturers, investors, online retailers, and the personal privacy of every American. I urge you to investigate Temu and require the necessary authorities to protect Americans from this dangerous Chinese application.”
Cotton emphasized, “The reason behind Temu’s cheap goods is not due to fair competition, but rather a combination of well-known Chinese intellectual property theft, government subsidies, and human rights violations.”
He said, “For example, Temu directly copies Amazon storefronts and then sells knockoff Chinese products at steep discount prices. Temu is also likely profiting from the use of forced labor.”
In his public letter on Tuesday, Rubio asked Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas to investigate Temu and the Chinese fast-fashion brand Shein, stating, “Because they have violated the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA). If you find them in violation of the law, please list them in the UFLPA entity list.”
Through bipartisan efforts in the U.S. Congress, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act officially became law in December 2021.
UFLPA prohibits the import of goods produced by forced labor of the Uighur minority in China.
Rubio pointed out, “Private companies and journalists have already found compelling evidence that both Shein and Temu facilitate the entry of products made by forced Uighur labor.”
As one of the co-sponsors of UFLPA, Rubio stated in his letter, “In January 2024, Temu was the most downloaded app in the United States, with 51 million monthly active users, a 300% increase from 2023. Shein and Temu are popular due to their extremely low prices, which are the result of intellectual property theft, trade exploitation, strong support from the Chinese Communist Party, and alleged use of forced labor.”
The two Republican senators also requested the Biden administration to investigate and answer relevant questions within a specified timeframe, including “how many members of the Chinese Communist Party or affiliates are associated with Temu and its parent company Pinduoduo,” and “to what extent does Temu steal and counterfeit American products.”