EU technical barrier on textile export rising. How do foreign trades deal with it now?

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Since February 3, the European Union on the NPEO content of more than 0.01% of the market’s textile ban has come into effect. Foreign trade enterprises exporting to the EU export market faced a new slope of technical barriers.

Article 46A of Annex XVII of REACH stipulates prohibition on textiles containing more than 0.01% NPEO content placed on the EU export market from February 3, 2021. This is according to the Amendment (EU) 2016/26 published by the EU.

The specific terms

  1. Starting from February 3, 2021, textile articles that need to be washed with water during their normal life cycle shall not be put on the market. This rule will apply if the NPEO concentration is equal to or greater than the textile or 0.01% of each part of the textile’s weight.
  2. Clause 1 does not apply to second-hand textiles sold on the market. Or to new textiles produced exclusively from recycled fabrics without the use of NPEO.
  3. For Clauses 1 and 2, “Textiles” means any non-finished, semi-finished, or finished product with a textile fiber content greater than 80% by weight. It also means any other product containing a textile fiber component of at least 80% by weight. This includes clothing, accessories, interior textiles, fibers, yarns, fabrics, and knitwear.
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According to the manual, NPEO is a surfactant widely used in industrial cleaning agents and emulsifiers. This covers textile and leather treatment agents, household cleaning agents, metal coating processes.
The decomposition of NPEO in the environment causes toxic environmental hormones. And endocrine interference is a carcinogen.
Previously, EU limits on NPEO content were limited to industrial cleaning, household washing, paper making, and personal care products.
The restriction is a first for textiles.

The EU requirements

EU is one of the most important export markets for China’s textile and garment. In 2020, China’s total textile and garment export to 27 EU countries (excluding the UK) reached 53.97 billion US dollars. With an increase of 34.4%, the export of textile increased by 130%. The traditional bulk export of garments decreased by 3.7%.
Indeed, under the impact of the epidemic, anti-epidemic materials have greatly increased the demand for textiles in the EU export market. And in the future market, where the epidemic is stabilizing, the textile and clothing exported by export traders to Europe will also be conventional.
At present, enterprises urgently need to think about dealing with the EU market’s high-tech barriers.

Experts pointed out that products meet the EU’s requirements, textile enterprises need to upgrade and transform the production links. They also need to increase the input of raw materials and product testing. Improving the quality management system and strengthening the quality control of the production links will also help. Ensure that the quality of export products meets the requirements of laws, regulations, and contracts in the imported EU market.

Standard 100 Product Label

Standard 100 by Oeko-Tex ® is one of the world’s most renowned eco-textile labels for testing hazardous substances. They represent consumer trust and a high level of product safety.
According to the relevant person in charge of Oeko-Tex ® (Beijing) Textile Testing Co., Ltd., the official representative institution of Oeko-Tex ® in China, the limited value of NPEO in the Standard 100 STANDARD is 0.01%. With the Standard 100 certification, export enterprises can face the European Union’s technical barriers. And they can also sell the compliant products to the European Union market smoothly.

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Traders can apply the Standard 100 product label to all textiles. It comprises of yarn to the finished product that has been tested for hazardous chemicals.
So, where is the gold content of the certification?
What are its specific content and detect index?
These five aspects will give you a quick overview of the Standard 100 certification.

What does Standard 100 stand for?

Suppose a finished textile carries the Standard 100 label. In that case, we can determine that all parts of the finished product, including fabric, thread, buttons, and all other accessories, have passed the hazardous substance test. They are, therefore, ecologically harmless to humans.
TESTEX’s independent laboratory in Switzerland carried out the test according to the Standard 100 Oeko-Tex ®. This aspect covers more than 20 major and 300 minor tests. It considers the vast majority of controlled and uncontrolled substances that may be harmful to human health.
In many cases, the limited values of Standard 100 exceed national and international standards. They do updates at least once a year. And they expand in response to the latest scientific discoveries or statutory requirements.

What products can be certified?

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In principle, all textiles at all processing stages, from yarn to fabric, accessories, and finished products, are Standard 100 certified.
Each different product must be based on its product characteristics, processing technology, the use of different dyes to meet the requirements of the corresponding detection items of the limited value.

For textile products, all surfaces and accessories used in the development, including thread, buttons, zippers, linings, prints, and coatings on exterior materials, must also pass the hazardous substances test.
So whether it’s the newest textiles, clothing, home textiles, or decorative materials, products with the Standard 100 label can be trusted.

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How are certificate levels classified?

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