China implements textile trade whitelist qualification certification

Recently, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan issued Decree No. 175 to amend the “Act for the Control of Hazardous Substances in Household Products” (Law No. 112, 1977), officially listing specific azo dyes that can decompose carcinogenic aromatic amines. It is a hazardous substance and is prohibited from use in textiles. The decree was officially implemented on April 1, 2016. By then, only textiles that comply with the regulations of the government order can be sold in Japan.
The amendments to the “Act on the Control of Hazardous Substances in Household Products” include:
1. According to regulations, the range of household products that prohibit specific azo dyes are:
Textiles for which specific azo dyes are prohibited: diapers, diaper coverings, underwear, pajamas, gloves, socks, coats, outerwear, hats, bedding, carpets, tablecloths, neckwear, handkerchiefs, towels, bath mats and related products.
Leather and/or fur products in which certain azo dyes are prohibited: underwear, gloves, outerwear, outerwear, hats and floor coverings.
2. After testing with a gas chromatography mass spectrometer, the content of 24 specific aromatic amines is limited to no more than 30 mg/kg.
3. Revise the test method for detecting furniture products containing triphenyltin (TPT) and tributyltin (TBT), and use gas chromatography mass spectrometer to replace flameless atomic absorption spectrometry and two-dimensional chromatography.
4. Revise the test method for detecting household products containing formaldehyde, using acetic acid-ammonium acetate buffer instead of purified water in the absorbance measurement process.
In order to avoid the adverse impact of increased costs for both trading parties due to the implementation of the decree, the China National Textile and Apparel Council and the Japan Fiber Industry Alliance signed a cooperation framework agreement as early as 2010 to jointly establish a white list management system and implement white list for Japan. List qualification certification. When products of companies that have obtained white list qualifications are exported to Japan, they can be recognized by Japanese importers entering the system and are exempt from testing specific azo dyes. The whitelist management system began trial operation in 2012, and the first batch of whitelist qualified companies were announced on March 28, 2012. Currently, hundreds of companies have obtained this qualification certification. Detailed information can be found on the Textile Safety Network www.cntextile.com, the official website of the China National Textile and Apparel Federation’s whitelist management system.