Eurofins Softlines & Leather Monthly Bulletin (April 2024)

Europe

Amendments in the Combined Nomenclature Regulation

On 27 March 2024, the European Commission published the following Implementing Regulation related to the classification of certain goods in the Combined Nomenclature which affects textile fabrics and footwear items.

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/965 of 21 March 2024 concerning footwear.

Footwear having:
- an upper made of napped crocheted textile fabric (100 % wool) with a textile lining.
- laces as the fastening device. The eyelets made of metal are pressed directly into the crocheted textile fabric.
- a plastic sole with a smooth, even surface. Ten straight cuts, parallel to each other, reaching from side to side are cut into the sole covering the heel part as well as the front of the sole. The sole is lower in the front than in the heel part.
These shall be considered casual leisure footwear for walking with CN-code 6404 19 90.

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/966 of 21 March 2024 concerning textile fabrics.

Textile item having:
- An item in the form of a shell/inlet of very densely woven, single coloured 100 % cotton fabric, measuring approximately 80 cm × 80 cm. The edges are reinforced with woven piping and with an opening on one side measuring approximately 25 cm to allow for filling.
- The textile shell/inlet is designed to be filled after importation with, for example, feathers and/or down and the opening will be permanently closed, to become a pillow.
These shall be considered as textile fabrics with CN-code 6307 90 98.

These Regulations shall enter into force on 20 April 2024 with a transition period of 3 months from the date of entry.

Amendments in the quota period for jute and coconut-fibre products

On 26 March 2024, the European Commission published Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/904 of 25 March 2024 amending Council Regulation (EC) No 32/2000 as regards the extension of the Union’s tariff quotas for jute and coconut-fibre products.

The main amendment is the modification of the Quota period in Annex III- List of Community tariff quotas for jute and coconut-fibre products as indicated following:

CEN
Serial Number	CN code	Description of goods	Quota period
09.0107	5310 ex 5607 90 20 ex 5702 39 00 ex 5702 49 00 ex 5702 50 90 ex 5702 99 00 ex 5703 90 20 ex 5703 90 80 ex 5806 39 00 ex 5806 40 00 5905 00 50 ex 5905 00 90	In general: - Woven fabrics of jute or of other textile bast fibres of heading. - Twine, cordage, ropes and cables, whether or not plaited or braided and whether or not impregnated, coated, covered or sheathed with rubber or plastics. - Carpets and other textile floor coverings. - Narrow woven fabrics and narrow fabrics consisting of warp without weft assembled by means of an adhesive (bolducs)	From 1 January to 31 December each year until 31 December 2027
09.0109	5702 20 00	Floor coverings of coconut fibres (coir)	From 1 January to 31 December each year until 31 December 2027
09.0111	6305 10 90	Sacks and bags of a kind used for the packing of goods, of jute or of other textile bast fibres of heading No 5303, other than used.	From 1 January to 31 December each year until 31 December 2027

This Regulation entered into force on 26 March 2024 and shall apply from 1 January 2024.

Standard updates

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

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

CEN
Reference	Title	*Date of withdrawal ()**	Supersedes
EN ISO 105-B04:2024	Textiles - Tests for colour fastness - Part B04: Colour fastness to artificial weathering: Xenon arc fading lamp test (ISO 105B04:2024)	30 September 2024	EN ISO 105-B04:1997

Request about new global rules for exporting textile waste

On 25 March 2024, the Government Offices of Sweden published an article which talks about exporting textile waste. The article outlines its position together with France and Denmark on the exportation of textile waste and their request to Europe for a new global rule under the Basel Convention for this type of waste.

The proposal suggests subjecting textile waste to the control mechanisms of the Basel Convention

This would mean:

Requiring prior informed consent to be obtained for the import and export of textile waste.
Banning the export of hazardous textile waste altogether.

For more information, visit the Swedish Government website here.

Maine amends PFAS reporting and prohibition rule

On 16 April 2024, the State of Maine approved an amendment to the “Laws Relating to the Prevention of Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Pollution” for the second time.

Under the new amendment, the following significant changes were made to the existing rule:

Reporting rule

Scope: Now only required for products that contain intentionally added PFAS and for which the use of PFAS in the product is currently unavoidable (effective 1 January 2032).
Exemptions that were added:

Manufacturers that employ 100 or fewer people
Used products/components
FDA regulated products
Certain veterinary products
Products for public health, environmental or water quality testing
Motor vehicles, watercrafts, and other transportation products
Semi-conductors
Non-consumer electronics and lab equipment
Equipment directly used to manufacture certain exempted products

Information to be reported:

Changes: If the manufacturer is unable to provide information regarding the amount of PFAS in the product, then it may report the total weight of the product.
Added: the identification of the applicable determination, adopted by the Department, that the use of PFAS, in the product, is currently unavoidable.

Prohibition (packaging of the products are subject to the prohibition)

Effective 1 January 2026, the following product categories with intentionally added PFAS are prohibited:

Cleaning products
Cookware
Cosmetics
Dental floss
Juvenile products
Menstruation products
Textile articles
Ski wax
Upholstered furniture

Effective 1 January 2029, the following product categories with intentionally added PFAS are prohibited:

Artificial turf
Outdoor apparel for severe wet conditions (unless labelled “Made with PFAS chemicals”)

Effective 1 January 2032 (Previously 1 January 2030), any product with intentionally added PFAS is prohibited:

Except for used products; products for which the use of PFAS in the product is determined to be a currently unavoidable; cooling, heating, ventilation, and refrigeration equipment; and EPA-approved refrigerants, foams and aerosol propellants

Effective 1 January 2040, the following product categories with intentionally added PFAS are prohibited:

Cooling, heating, ventilation, air conditioning or refrigeration equipment that contains intentionally added PFAS
Refrigerants, foams or aerosol propellants

Mexico

Initiative to include textile waste in the General Law for the Prevention and Comprehensive Management of Waste

On 2 March 2024, Deputy Juan Luis Carrillo Soberanis (Green Ecologist Party of Mexico) proposed including the mandatory and comprehensive treatment of textile waste in the General Law for the Prevention and Comprehensive Management of Waste.

It is intended to force manufacturers, importers, distributors, managers, and generators of textiles to favour the use of durable and quality materials.

This initiative intends to stop the excessive production and consumption of clothing, as well as significantly reduce waste and pollution, which will limit the pressure on the natural resources which are necessary to produce more textiles.

For more information, please refer to the initiative here (only in Spanish).

International

Regulatory proposals notified to WTO

The table below summarises the most recent notifications made to the World Trade Organization (WTO) (non-exhaustive):

Notification number	Countries	Title
G/TBT/N/CHE/286	Switzerland	Ordinance on import, transit and export trade of animals and animal products with third countries/ Ordinance on import, transit and export trade of animals and animal products with EU Member States, Iceland, Norway and Northern Ireland /Ordinance on the list of countries related to the import of furs and fur products. The draft ordinance foresees to prohibit the import of fur and fur products produced using methods cruel to animals.

PRODUCT RECALLS / ALERTS

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

Europe

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

The following 6 alerts regarding clothing, textile and fashion items were reported between week 12 and week 15 of 2024.

Type of Risk	Number of alerts	Notes
Chemicals	1	Apron The product has an excessive concentration of cadmium. Moreover, the plastic material of the product contains an excessive amount of bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). The product does not comply with the REACH Regulation.
Choking	1	Children's shoes The small decorative elements (beads) can easily be detached from the product. The product does not comply with the requirements of the General Product Safety Directive.
Choking	1	Children's sandals The sandals have small parts (rivets) that can easily detach. The product does not comply with the requirements of the General Product Safety Directive or EN 59300.
Environment	1	Children’s watch The solder has an excessive concentration of lead. The product does not comply with the requirements of the Directive on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment (RoHS 2 Directive).
Injuries, Strangulation	1	Children's sweatshirt The product has long functional cords with free ends in the neck area. The product does not comply with the requirements of the General Product Safety Directive or EN 14682.
Injuries, Strangulation	1	Children's puffer vest The product bears functional cords close to the neck. The product does not comply with the requirements of the General Product Safety Directive or EN 14682.

OPSS issues Product Safety Alerts on the UK market.

The following 1 alert regarding textiles was reported between week 12 and week 15 of 2024.

Type of Risk	Number of alerts	Notes
Chemical	1	Children’s sandals It has an excessive concentration of Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). The product does not meet the requirements of the REACH Regulations 2008.

U.S.

From 28 March 2024 to 18 April 2024, the CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) published the following recalls: 3 recalls of textile & leather products

Hazard	Number of alerts	Notes
Burn	1	Children’s pyjamas The recalled children’s pyjamas violate the flammability regulations for children’s sleepwear, posing a risk of burn injuries to children.
Fire	1	Rugs The recalled area rugs violate the mandatory federal flammability regulations for carpets and rugs, posing a fire hazard.
Laceration	1	Quilts and shams Pieces of broken needles were found inside some quilts and quilted shams, posing a laceration hazard.