Eurofins Softlines & Leather Monthly Bulletin (May 2021)

EUROPE

Standards updates

The below table summarises the most recent standard updates and upcoming dates of withdrawal (non-exhaustive):

(*) Date of withdrawal: latest date by which national standards conflicting with an EN (and HD for CENELEC) have to be withdrawn.

Consolidated opinions available: Skin sensitising, irritating and/or corrosive substances

On 6 May 2021, the European Chemicals Agency made available the consolidated opinions of the Committees for Risk Assessment and Socio-Economic Analysis on the proposed restriction on Skin sensitising, irritating and/or corrosive substances in clothing, footwear and related articles which are intended to come into direct and prolonged contact with the skin. These substances include classified substances as Skin Sens. under CLP 1/1A/1B and/or Skin irrit. 2 and/or Skin corr. 1/1A/1B/1C, as well as the substances recommended to be classified as such by RAC (the Committee for Risk Assessment).

For more information, visit the ECHA’s website here.

Final SCCS Opinion on the safety of presence of BPA in clothing articles published

On 14 April 2021, The European Commission and its Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) published the final Opinion on the safety of the presence of Bisphenol A (BPA) in clothing articles.

The main purpose of the scientific opinion is to provide scientific support to assess the potential need for legislative amendments in the chemicals legislation and/or enforcement measures under the General Product Safety Directive related to BPA.

According to the opinion, there is no risk of adverse effects from the estimated exposure levels of BPA resulting from the use of clothes, independent of the age group of the consumer. However, a major source of uncertainty in the determination of the limit value is that only one study is available.

For more information, visit the European Commission website here.

CHINA

China released Implementation Rules for National Supervision and Random Inspection

On 13 May 2021, the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) published notice No. 15 of 2021 to issue the “Implementation Rules for National Supervision and Random Inspection of Product Quality”. A total collection of 62 products were included. The rules specified details in:

• Principles of sampling
• Testing parameters and the relevant analysis methods
• Judgment basis and principles

Product Categories that relate to our industries (non-exhaustive list):

The complete notification can be found here (in Chinese).

New requirements for one-piece bra articles

On 1 April 2021, the standard FZ/T 73046-2020 came into effect and replaced the old version FZ/T 73046-2013.

This standard specifies the terms and definitions, models and specifications, requirements, inspection rules, judgment rules, product instructions, packaging, transportation and storage of integrated knitted fasteners (including one piece and half piece).

This standard applies to the quality identification of one-piece knitted bra products (including one-piece and half-piece).

It was approved in the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology Announcement No. 48 (2020).

JAPAN

Restriction in the importation of PFOA and its salts in certain products

On 16 April 2021, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry published the Cabinet Decision on the Cabinet Order for the Partial Revision of the Order for Enforcement of the Act on the Evaluation of Chemical Substances and Regulation of Their Manufacture, Etc.

The Cabinet decided to approve the Cabinet Order, which designates 2,2,2-trichloro-1-(2-chlorophenyl)-1-(4-chlorophenyl) ethanol (also known as o,p’-Dicofol) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and/or its salts as Class I Specified Chemical Substances.

The products that businesses are not permitted to import, in which any of the Class I Specified Chemical Substances are used (Article 7 of the Order for Enforcement of the Act), are:

1. Water-resistant paper and oil-resistant paper
2. Water-repellent textiles and oil-repellent textiles
3. Cleaning agents
4. Anti-reflection agents used in the manufacture of semiconductors
5. Paints and varnish
6. Water repellent and oil repellent
7. Adhesives and sealing fillers
8. Fire extinguishers, fire-extinguishing agents, and fire-extinguishing foam
9. Toners
10. Water-resistant clothes and oil-resistant clothes
11. Water-repellent floor coverings and oil-repellent floor coverings
12. Floor waxes
13. Photographic paper

It will become effective on 22 October 2021.

For more information, visit the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry here (in Japanese). 

SOUTH KOREA

New phthalate in the safety criteria for children’s products

On 22 February 2021, the World Trade Organization published the Korean proposal for the safety criteria for children’s products (G/TBT/N/KOR/944). The aim was to incorporate comments regarding the new phthalate, Diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP), which had been added to the list. The phthalates list would have expanded to seven as follows:

The limit would be lowered to 0.1% (sum). The proposed date of adaptation and proposed entry into force is June 2021 or later.

The final date for submitting comments was 23 April 2021.

PRODUCT RECALLS / ALERTS

Below you will find a monthly summary of product recalls and alerts in Europe (Source “RAPEX”) and the U.S. (Source “CPSC”).

Europe

RAPEX (European Commission Rapid Alert System for dangerous non-food products – Alerts reported by EU national authorities).

The following 14 alerts regarding textile & leather products have been reported, from week 16 until week 20 of 2021.

US

Between 21 March and 20 April 2021, the CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) published the following recalls: 3 recalls regarding textile & leather products.