Temu and SHEIN have published descriptions of their platforms; those descriptions do not establish a single explanation for every low-priced item.
Temu in PDD’s 2024 annual report#
PDD’s report, filed in 2025, dates Temu’s initial North American launch to September 2022. It describes buyers, merchants, manufacturers and brands working through a network of logistics and fulfilment partners. This description includes logistics and fulfilment partners; it does not establish the cost breakdown of a particular order.
SHEIN’s marketplace announcement#
In its 4 May 2023 announcement, SHEIN described a marketplace hosting third-party sellers alongside SHEIN-branded apparel products. It identified Brazil as the initial market and the United States as the next planned launch. That is a dated company announcement, not independent proof of every seller’s working conditions or product quality.
Compare a particular order#
For a purchase, compare the named seller, item specifications, total checkout cost, delivery estimate and return conditions in the destination market. A cheap listing alone cannot prove that the seller is subsidizing it, that all costs have disappeared or that a whole manufacturing sector has excess capacity. These are editorial comparison questions, not findings from an investigation.