China’s GB Regulations for UK Garment and Footwear Industry

To help the UK’s textile, clothing and footwear industries to take advantage of China’s burgeoning retail market, SGS organized a supply chain event to explain the general requirements for compliance to China’s “GB standards” and general product standards.

While UK legislation in these industries focuses mainly on restricted substance compliance, the requirements go further in China to cover physical and safety testing too. For some time, UK manufacturers have seen this as a barrier to exporting products to China. This is because of the need to carry out significantly more testing, to create new labeling and to understand the relevant consumer safety rules.

New designs needed
In particular, it was recognized that many products would need to be designed or redesigned to meet the requirements of Chinese standards and conform to the relevant component (e.g. leather) or product (e.g. garment, footwear) specifications. To add to these complexities, separate organizations within China are responsible at different stages of the supply chain – from production and import and export through to market circulation and retail. Examples of relevant authorities include the:

• Administration of Industry and Commerce (AIC)
• Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ)
• China Consumer Association (CCA)
• Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau (CIQ)
• Quality and Technical Supervision (QTS) – on a more local level

For all of these, having no directly comparable system in the home market resulted in certain UK supply chains experiencing a gap in their understanding.

Learning from the experts
Having recognized this complexity, SGS was able to begin addressing the issue by placing its experts on the committees involved in drafting GB regulations in China. This means the company can keep its global network, including the UK, well-informed about existing and proposed rulings. SGS is also able to devise strategies for each market and help manufacturers to tackle the challenges of dealing with China GB regulations.

For example, there is no single China GB standard that covers the physical performance requirements for all children’s footwear. However, there are individual GB standards relating to certain styles (e.g. GB 25036-2010 – Children’s canvas rubber footwear) and a technical safety specification relating to all children’s footwear (GB 30585-2014). Components such as shanks are also regulated (GB 28011-2011) and this is one of the major causes of product rejection/recall for footwear in China.

Other discussion points at the SGS supply chain event included the ‘odor’ conformance requirement within the GB standard National General Safety Technical Code for Textile Products (GB 18401-2010) and the GB standard Labeling Requirement Instructions for the use of Products of Consumer Interest – Part 4 Textile and Apparel (GB 5296.4 2012).

Remembering recalls
Statistics for 2014 show that the national inspection and quarantine agencies (CIQ) collected 23,818 batches of samples during their inspections of imported garments, with a sampling rate of 33.8%. Of these, 1,785 batches (7.5%) did not meet the requirements. Delegates at the event discussed whether pre-approval (prior to the whole shipment being shipped) was possible, since they were keen to avoid the cost and inconvenience of products being quarantined and destroyed for non-compliance.

In terms of the level and type of failure across garments and footwear, data from 4,364 recall cases in 2014 shows that 1,400 (32%) were due to inaccurate fiber content figures on product labels. It was demonstrated that small differences in how fiber content is measured can lead to incorrect calculations and therefore false labeling. A further 1,117 recalls (26%) were due to general issues in product labeling. These two causes alone account for half of the total recalls in 2014.

SGS supports UK Trade With China
Due to the complexity and associated risks, many UK retailers prefer not to tackle the challenges of trading with China. However, a growing number of those who have managed to succeed can thank the efforts of SGS. The company supports the UK softlines supply chain by ensuring that the expected performance levels have been met, that labeling is correct and that certification will meet mandatory requirements.

For those who need refresher courses and updates, or are new to the business, SGS is running more training seminars in 2016. Check www.sgs.com for details, or contact:

Andrew Hudson
Global Technical Manager
(Leather and Footwear)
SGS United Kingdom Limited
t: +44 7841 566777
e: cts.media@sgs.com

Rob Croskell
Softlines Specialist
Consumer and Retail
SGS United Kingdom Limited
t: +44 (0)1379 668625
e: cts.media@sgs.com

About SGS
SGS is the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company. SGS is recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. With more than 85,000 employees, SGS operates a network of over 1,800 offices and laboratories around the world.

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This release was published on openPR.