SGS tips to help textile companies master product compliance in China

Statistical data in recent years has shown a slowdown in the China textile and apparel export growth and a gradual blossom of the domestic market. These changes have resulted in more enterprises focusing on the domestic consumption market.

Some production enterprises, brand owners and dealers do not fully understand the domestic product quality standards. The lack of full understanding of the domestic product quality standards has led to an increase in frequency of products that do not pass product quality spot checks. Failed spot checks can seriously affect the enterprise image and brand value.

Chinese textile market: Current situation and analysis
According to the results of spot checks done in all provinces and cities by the Administration for Industry and Commerce, Quality and Technology Supervision and Consumer Council in the first half of 2014, there were 1801 failed test items spot checked from apparel, home textiles and footwear sectors. Results show that most failures occur in the apparel category. Fibre content was the item with the highest failure rate of 34.5 per cent. The current commonly used standards in the Chinese market related to apparel and footwear as well as top 10 failure categories and an overview of product type failures are presented in tables and charts within the latest Consumer Compact Softlines article.

How to avoid failure in textile spot checks? Below are some of the categories most often cited in failed spot checks. Suggestions on how to avoid failures or improve products are given below.

Failed spot check on clothing
Fibre Content: Fibre content is important information to guide consumers to buy products and one of the important factors that determine the value of the product. The labeled fibre content not matching the actual fibre content or the absence of a fibre content label will harm the legitimate rights and interests of consumers.

It is important to double check that the actual fibre content listed on the garment matches the fibre content determined before bulk production stage.

Coluorfastness (Washing, perspiration, rubbing, light): Failed colourfastness properties may result in the dye loss or transfer from the fabric and affect the appearance of the garment. Certain dye molecules or heavy metal ions removed from fabric may be absorbed into human body through the skin and might result in health hazards. Complete and sufficient washing to remove all unattached dyestuffs from the fabric surface should be used during production. Appropriate fixation treatment to increase the binding force between dyestuffs and fabrics should be used. Colourfastness qualities should be qualified through testing before garment bulk production.

Formaldehyde: Exposure to residual or released formaldehyde from apparel may be associated with irritation of the respiratory tract and skin and mucous membranes which may cause respiratory system injury. Formaldehyde can trigger various kinds of inflammation and its contact with skin may cause allergic dermatitis, cracking, blistering and even necrosis. Additional washing with warm water and drying in circulating air may remove small amounts of residual formaldehyde. If a formaldehyde treatment is needed on fabric, the smallest amount of formaldehyde possible should be used.

pH value: If the pH value of the fabric is too high or too low, it may affect the pH balance of the human skin and may result in skin irritation. Sufficient neutralization processes should be used during production. Treatment with a weak acid or weak alkali may be used to neutralise fabric that is slightly out of tolerance.

Banned azo dyes: The products containing the banned azo dyes may be potential carcinogens to the human body when they come into