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China is the world's largest producer and exporter of textiles and garments. Its output has exceeded half of the world's total output, and its annual export volume has exceeded 38% of the total global textile and apparel trade volume. In 2017, China’s textile and apparel exports were 266.95 billion U.S. dollars, an increase of 1.53% year-on-year, but still lower than the 7.9% growth rate of national exports during the same period. In January this year, the export value was 23.107 billion US dollars, a year-on-year decrease of 2.64%. On January 4th this year, the International Ecological Textile Association issued the latest version of the OEKO-TEX® STANDARD100 product certification testing standards and limit value requirements, and will take effect on April 1 this year. International eco-textiles OEKO-TEX? STANDARD100 product certification, is the world's most authoritative eco-textile certification. The latest version has tightened its targets on restricted substances, limit values, etc., adding new challenges to the expansion of China’s textile and garment exports and overall industry upgrading, and it needs to actively respond.
The main features of this standard update
Some of the existing restricted chemical substances have been further tightened. For o-phenylphenol, the limit value at the product level I is adjusted from 50mg/kg to 10mg/kg, the limit value for the product grade II to IV is adjusted from 100mg/kg to 25mg/kg, the maximum tightening degree is reduced by 5 times . In the "residual surfactant wetting agent", the total amount of phenols remained unchanged, but by adding two kinds of limiting substances, the average limit value of each phenolic would be reduced by 50%; the SCCP group was all to Appendix 4 The limit value of the product category was reduced from 0.1% to 100mg/kg.
New restrictions on chemical substances have increased. In the new standard “other residual chemicals” project, phenol, bisphenol A, and limit value standards have been added. In addition, “monitored” substances, quinoline, have been added. This means that companies will be randomly assigned to apply for eco-textile certification. Detection of quinoline. The type of phenol in the "residual surfactant wetting agent" increases heptylphenol, branched and linear amylphenol, and the "azo dye" increases decomposable aniline.
The color wash fastness index improves. The water fastness of Class I products is required to be improved from the original level 3 to level 3-4, which is completely consistent with the mandatory standard GB 18401-2010 "National Safety Technical Code for Textile Products" for infants and young children.
For organic cotton products for the first time increased GMO testing. Organic cotton is two to three times more expensive than ordinary cotton. Because organic cotton does not use genetically modified seeds, the new standard will increase CMO testing for organic cotton products.
Main impact analysis
Increase the difficulty of corporate response. Since 2012, the International Ecological Textiles Association has updated the OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 product certification testing standards and limit value requirements for seven consecutive years, and the update rate is too fast, increasing the difficulty of dealing with export companies. Such as: aniline is the most important textile dyeing intermediates, previously used in the printing and dyeing industry, the use rate reached 70%, which has absolute advantages in terms of performance and price, especially in the suede dyeing has irreplaceable, so companies must ensure that products Through limited detection of aniline, relevant equipment renewal, introduction of patented technology, and training of talents must be carried out.
Increase business costs. According to the certification rules, companies need to re-evaluate the products listed in the certificate every year, and the certification fees range from 20,000 yuan to 70,000 yuan. With the increasing number of testing items required by the standard, the cost of certification continues to rise. According to estimates, the annual standards update, China's export enterprises correspondingly increased the certification fee of tens of millions of yuan. At the same time, in order to meet the requirements for eco-product certification, it is necessary to strengthen limited chemical substance testing and increase the cost of testing; accordingly, China's export textile and garment delivery time will be extended, capital flow costs will be increased, and corporate operating costs will increase overall.
Increase corporate trade risk. Textiles and garments have been the hardest-hit areas for which China’s export products have been recalled. In 2017, the European Union and the United States reported 116 recalls of China’s exports of textile, clothing, shoes and hats products, an increase of 8.3% year-on-year, mainly due to phthalate II (2-E). (Hexylhexyl) ester (DEHP) and other harmful substances exceeded. The OEKO-TEX100 standard not only closely matches the latest testing requirements in Europe and the United States, but some toxic and hazardous substances are even more restrictive. For example, the phthalate plasticizers that are banned in the European and American Children's Products Regulations are only 8 kinds, and the OEKO-TEX 100 standard 21 kinds of o-benzene plasticizers have been listed as restricted substances. With the concept of "eco-textiles" receiving more and more attention from countries, the OEKO-TEX100 standard with a vane position in this field is bound to promote more countries to raise the access threshold for technical trade and increase the risk of China's textile and clothing exports.
Impede the interflow of domestic and foreign sales markets. In the field of textile and clothing, China's adoption rate of international standards has been increasing year by year. However, the standard coverage and index values are still far from the technical regulations and standards of developed countries such as Europe and the United States, which is not conducive to domestic sales of qualified products to overseas markets. Take China's existing eco-textiles standard system as an example. This system mainly revolves around GB/T 18885-2009 "Technical Requirements for Ecological Textiles". It is formulated with reference to the 2008 edition of the OEKO-TEX 100 standard. Many technical indicators are out of date. The domestic similar standard GB/T35613-2017 "Green Product Evaluation Textiles" was released in December 2017 and formally implemented on July 1, 2018. This standard still has a gap with the latest version of the OEKO-TEX standard. For example, in the 2017 edition, the OEKO-TEX100 standard increased the limiting species of o-benzene plasticizers and organotins to 21 and 15 respectively, while the corresponding limit types in “Green Product Evaluation Textiles” were only 11 and 4 respectively. Species.
Countermeasures and Suggestions
OEKO-TEX?STANDARD100 is the recognized authoritative eco-textile standard in the global textile industry. Products that pass this certification will be recognized as "fabric for confidence". As the standard continues to refer to the latest laws, regulations and standards concerning the textile industry in different countries and organizations every year, and is revised in a timely manner, many large buyers in Europe and the United States have used it as the technical basis for product procurement. The eco-textile market with the OEKO-TEX® STANDARD100 certificate has obvious advantages. It not only sells smoothly, but also costs 20%-30% more than ordinary textiles. Emphasizing the ecological safety performance of products has become a new trend in international textile trade.
In order to effectively respond to the new international eco-textile certification standards, promote the transformation and upgrading of China's textile and garment industry, and enhance international competitiveness, the author proposes four countermeasures. The first is to improve technological innovation capabilities. We will increase support for the research and development of eco-textiles and environmentally-friendly raw and auxiliary materials, improve the innovation and capability of our eco-technical products for export, and increase the new momentum for the development of China's national textile and garment industry. The second is to speed up the construction of a national standard system. Accelerate the construction of China's national standards system for eco-textiles, to the greatest extent possible with the latest international standards, and force internal and external sales companies to comprehensively improve product quality and safety and improve international competitiveness. The third is to strengthen close contact with international standards agencies. Actively participate in the construction of the international standard system, strive for the international mutual recognition of the equivalent testing and certification results in China, promote the development of China's testing and certification industry, and reduce the duplicate testing cost of export products due to different standards certification systems. The fourth is to develop a diversified export market. Seize the opportunity of the “One Belt and One Road” initiative, increase efforts to develop the textile and clothing market in countries and regions along the “One Belt and One Road”, establish a diversified market system, reduce excessive reliance on markets in the developed countries such as the European Union and the United States, and reduce trade risks.