Read the full article by Romana King (Money.Ca).
“Fast fashion brand Shein has built a loyal following in Canada on the promise of ultra-low prices — $8 dresses, $12 jeans, entire back-to-school wardrobes for under $100. But a sweeping lawsuit filed in February 2026 by the Texas Attorney General, combined with independent lab testing, raises a question that no price tag can answer: What exactly is in those clothes?
The short answer, according to the lawsuit and testing by Greenpeace Germany, is a toxic cocktail that includes ‘forever chemicals’ (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS), phthalates and lead — some at concentrations far exceeding safety limits in the European Union (EU) and the United States (1).
Canada has no comprehensive federal testing program for chemical content in imported clothing. Health Canada doesn’t screen, test or approve these products before they are sold online or in stores. Instead, the onus is on the importer or company to ensure its merchandise complies with the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act — which prohibits hazardous substances like lead and PFAS. However, manufacturers often use a loophole by claiming these chemicals are ‘incidental (2).'”…