
-
England, Germany and Spain on mark in women's Nations League
-
Judge orders return to US of Salvadoran man deported in error
-
Amadou of Malian blind music duo dies aged 70
-
Freeman hat-trick eases Northampton into Champions Cup quarters with Clermont win
-
Defiant Trump dismisses stock market's tariff plunge
-
Musiala injury sours Bayern win at Augsburg
-
Peruvian schoolkids living in fear of extortion gangs
-
Top seed Pegula rallies to oust defending champ Collins in Charleston
-
Amadou of Malian blind music duo Amadou & Mariam dies aged 70
-
California to defy Trump's tariffs to allay global trade fears
-
Bayern's Musiala subbed off with injury days out from Inter clash
-
Russian strike kills 16 in Ukraine leader's home city, children among dead
-
NBA fines Grizzlies' Morant for imaginary gun gesture
-
Trump tariffs offer opportunity for China
-
UK comedian Russell Brand charged with rape
-
Marsh, Markram help Lucknow edge Mumbai in IPL
-
Israel attorney general accuses PM of 'conflict of interest' in security chief dismissal
-
Emery glad to see Rashford make landmark appearance
-
Sean 'Diddy' Combs faces more charges ahead of criminal trial
-
Russian missile strike kills 14 in Ukraine leader's home city
-
Trump's tariff Big Bang puts global economy under threat
-
I Am Maximus backed for National as Mullins hot streak continues
-
2014 World Cup winner Hummels to retire at season's end
-
Intercommunal violence kills dozens in central Nigeria
-
Nigerian, S. African music saw 'extraordinary growth' in 2024: Spotify
-
Russell Brand: From Hollywood star to rape suspect
-
France soccer star Mbappe unveiled in London... in waxwork form
-
Trump goads China as global trade war escalates
-
Israel expands Gaza ground offensive, hits Hamas in Lebanon
-
TikTok faces new US deadline to ditch Chinese owner
-
US Fed Chair warns tariffs will likely raise inflation, cool growth
-
Mbappe among three Real Madrid players fined for 'indecent conduct'
-
How can the EU respond to Trump tariffs?
-
Canada loses jobs for first time in 3 years as US tariffs bite
-
Real Madrid and Barcelona respect each other, says Ancelotti
-
Nations divided ahead of decisive week for shipping emissions
-
Trump goads China after Beijing retaliates in global trade war
-
Arteta urges Arsenal to enjoy "beautiful" run-in despite injury woes
-
London mayor gets new powers to revive capital's ailing nightlife
-
Italy's ski star Brignone takes on 'new challenge' after serious leg injury
-
Amorim in a 'rush' to succeed at Man Utd
-
PSG coach Luis Enrique targets unbeaten season
-
Duterte victims seeking 'truth and justice': lawyer
-
UK comedian and actor Russell Brand charged with rape
-
Postecoglou 'falling out of love' with football due to VAR
-
US hiring beats expectations in March as tariff uncertainty brews
-
'Unique' De Bruyne one of the greats, says Guardiola
-
Automakers shift gears after Trump tariffs
-
Where things stand in the US-China trade war
-
Youthful Matildas provide spark in friendly win over South Korea
RBGPF | 1.48% | 69.02 | $ | |
RYCEF | -18.79% | 8.25 | $ | |
SCS | -0.56% | 10.68 | $ | |
NGG | -5.25% | 65.93 | $ | |
BTI | -5.17% | 39.86 | $ | |
BCC | 0.85% | 95.44 | $ | |
CMSC | 0.13% | 22.29 | $ | |
GSK | -6.79% | 36.53 | $ | |
VOD | -10.24% | 8.5 | $ | |
RIO | -6.88% | 54.67 | $ | |
RELX | -6.81% | 48.16 | $ | |
BCE | 0.22% | 22.71 | $ | |
CMSD | 0.7% | 22.83 | $ | |
AZN | -7.98% | 68.46 | $ | |
JRI | -7.19% | 11.96 | $ | |
BP | -10.43% | 28.38 | $ |

Buy now, pay later: Latin America pressured by Chinese online shops
Isidora Olave opens a package containing a T-shirt, a skirt and a handful of glitter stickers shipped to her front door in Santiago, Chile, all the way from China almost 20,000 kilometers (11,800 miles) away.
Like many of her peers, the 20-year-old dentistry student says she no longer has use for malls.
Instead, she shops cheaply and conveniently for "ultra-fast fashion" on Chinese platforms such as Shein, Temu and AliExpress that also offer everything from household products to stationery.
"I bought it from Shein because I needed it for a specific occasion and it was cheaper than buying it here in Chile," Olave told AFP in Santiago of her latest online acquisition.
She paid $15 for the order, shipping included -- about half of what the same items would have cost at a local shop.
According to data platform Statista, Latin Americans spent some $122 billion on online purchases in 2022, a figure expected to rise to $200 billion by 2026.
It's a fast-growing consumer trend with a massive carbon footprint and disconcerting consequences for domestic industry.
The UN says the fashion industry generates about 10 percent of planet-warming carbon emissions each year -- more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined.
A 2023 report of the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, a US government agency, said "Shein and other fast fashion platforms are exacerbating this trend."
Every year, some 85 percent of all textiles sold globally end up in landfills or dumps, says the UN.
Most ends up in developing countries such as Chile, whose Atacama desert features growing mountains of discarded clothing.
- 'A major challenge' -
Latin America, once solidly within the sphere of influence of the United States, is a particular target for China's commercial expansion.
Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative has invested heavily in energy and infrastructure in the region as the Asian giant also expands its diplomatic and cultural presence.
President Xi Jinping, in Peru to attend an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, will on Thursday inaugurate South America's first Chinese-funded port, in Chancay, around 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of the capital Lima.
In a bid to shield domestic industry from the Chinese commercial onslaught, Chile and Brazil have eliminated tax exemptions for individual customers on foreign purchases below $41 and $50 respectively.
Mexico is also mulling stronger controls, but analysts are not convinced the tide can be stopped.
Companies like Shein and Temu rely on a recipe of low product prices, marketing to a captive social media audience, and advantageous pricing agreements with shipping companies.
Their sales were also bolstered by the Covid-19 pandemic that relegated millions of workers and students to shopping from home.
At Santiago airport's customs checkpoint, the result is plain to see. In 2023, it handled 20 million incoming packages. In 2024, the number is predicted to close out at about 30 million.
The number of parcels received grew by about 1,000 percent in five years, said Santiago customs head Maria Jose Rodriguez.
Checking packages for potential contraband "has been a major challenge operationally," she told AFP.
Last month, the EU announced a probe into concerns Temu is doing too little to stop the sale of illegal products.
And in 2023, US lawmakers sought reassurances from Shein, Temu and other brands over claims their products are made using forced labor.
- Addiction risk -
Experts also warn about the potential psychological risks associated with shopping addiction in a world where marketing has become increasingly intrusive.
"At night, instead of watching a series, many people spend time swiping on their (mobile) screens, browsing," Uruguayan marketing psychologist Veronica Massonier told AFP.
Young people, faced with the added phenomenon of peer pressure, are most likely to fall victim to impulse buying, she added.
F.Cardoso--PC