Canada 3/1
- USA customs laws require that all wearing apparel items shall be marked with the name of the country of origin.
- All wearing apparel items shall be marked bymeans of a fabric label unless a precedent exists which has ruled in favor of anotherform of marking. Following are the general rules for locating such a fabric label.
- In the case of garments that cover the upper torso such as shirts, blouses, coats, sweaters, dresses and similar apparel, country of origin marking shall be placed on the “Insidecenter of the neck midway between the shoulder seams or in that immediatearea”.
- “Trousers, slacks, jeans and similar wearing apparel shall be marked by means of a permanent label affixed in a conspicuous location on the garment, such as the inside ofthe waistband”
The following information in English shall be included for markingor labeling purposes:
- Fiber content, by percentage in descending order by weight, using generic fiber names
- Fiber names approved by the FTC or by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) may be used. For example, either spandex (an FTC approved name) or elastane (an ISO approved name) may be used to name the same fiber
- More details of the wear labeling requirements shall be found at the following link:
- Marking Requirements for Wearing Apparel
- The Flammable Fabrics Act prohibits manufacturing for sale, the sale, in commerce, or the importation into the United States, or the introduction, delivery for introduction, transportation or causing to be transported in commerce or for the purpose of sale or delivery after sale in commerce, , transporting, causing the carriage, commerce, selling, post-sale delivery, or shipment in commerce of any product, fabric, or related material that does not Complies with flammability standards or regulations issued under this Act. Standards have been set for the flammability of apparel textiles, PVC vinyl films (used in apparel), carpets and rugs, children's sleepwear, mattresses and mattress toppers.
- USCODE 2011 Title 15 chap 25
- These rules require that children’s sleepwear shall be flame resistant and self-extinguish if a flame from a candle, match, lighter or a similar item causes it to catch fire. The rules cover all children’s sleepwear above size 9 months and up to size 14 and require that the fabric and garments shall pass certain flammability tests or be "tight fitting" as defined by specified dimensions.
- The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act )CPSIA enacted in 2008 regulates specific substances in children’s products, including children’s apparel and sleepwear. The CPSIA sets limits for lead content and phthalates in children’s products. A children’s product is defined as a consumer product designed or intended primarily for children age 12 years or younger.With respect to children’s apparel, Section 101(a) of the CPSIA restricts children’s products, including children’s apparel and sleepwear, to a lead content limit of 100 parts per million (ppm). In addition, the use of paint or similar surface coating on children’s apparel and sleepwear shall not exceed a lead content limit of 90 ppm.
- More details about the technical requirements for the safety of textile and clothing products shall be found at the following link:
- A Guide to United States Apparel and Household Textiles Compliance Requirements
Follow Canada Law:
The Textile Labelling Act prohibits:
- a dealer from selling, importing into Canada or advertising prescribed consumer textile articles unless they are labelled with fibre content and dealer identification in accordance with the Act and Regulations;
- a dealer from making, in an advertisement, any representation with respect to the fibre content of the article unless it is in accordance with the Regulations;
- a dealer from making any false or misleading representations relating to textile fibre products, by means of a label, advertisement or otherwise.
The law shall be found at the following link:
The basic requirements are that the disclosure label bear the fibre content information expressed in percentages by mass, and the dealer identity information (as outlined below).
Fiber content:
- The generic name of each fiber present, in an amount of 5% or more, shall be stated as a percentage of the total fiber mass of the article. Generally, the fibersshall be shown in order of predominance.
There are five fibre types as shown below:
- Natural and industrial fiber
- Animal hair, fiber or fur fiber
- Reclaimed Fiber
- Unknown, undefined, miscellaneous or mixed fibers
The specific requirements of each types shall be found at the following link:
Flammability Standards
Textile products manufactured, imported, advertised or sold in Canada are subject to the Canadian Consumer Product Safety Act - CCPSA and shall meet the flammability requirements set forth in the Textile Flammability Regulations as follows:
Products without raised fibre surface
The flame spread time for textile products without a raised fibre surface shall be greater than 3.5 seconds.
Products with raised fibre surface:
The flame spread time for textile products with a raised fibre surface that exhibits ignition or fusion of its base fibres shall be greater than 4 seconds.
Bedding
The flame spread time for bedding without a raised fibre surface, or bedding with a raised fibre surface that exhibits ignition or fusion of its base fibres, shall be greater than 7 seconds.
The Dangerous Products Act contains minimum flammability standards for consumer textile products, particularly soft toys, bedding, rugs, rugs and mats, mattresses and tents.
More information on flammability standards shall be found at the following link:
Language - Except in areas where only one official language is used in consumer transactions, the required fiber content information, i.e. generic names, as well as any information directly related to the fiber content, must be bilingual. Two separate posters can be used, one in English and one in French. Care instructions are also required in French and English. The identification of the merchant, as well as the country of origin, must be in one of the official languages only.
The Canadian Consumer Act - CCPSA shall be found at the following link:
Children's clothing
Health Canada has an industry guidance document entitled drawstrings on Children's Outdoor Clothing.
Requirements shall be found in the guide:
- Children’s upper outerwear in sizes newborn to 12 that have drawstrings in the hood and neck area.
- Children’s upper outerwear in sizes 2T to 16 that do not meet the performance requirements set out in ASTM Standard F1816-97, Standard.
- Technical and clothing requirements
Textile Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 on fiber names and related labeling and marking of the fiber composition of textile products in order to protect consumer interests and eliminate potential obstacles to the proper functioning of the internal market.
The main elements shall include:
- General obligation to state the full fiber composition of textile products؛
- Minimum technical requirements for applications for a new fiber name؛
- The requirement to indicate the presence of non-textile parts of animal origin؛
- Exemption applicable to customised products made by self-employed tailors؛
- The indication of the fiber composition of a product shall be mandatory at all stages of the industrial processing and commercial distribution of that product
- All products containing at least 80% by weight of textile fibres, including raw, semi-worked, worked, semi-manufactured, semi-made, and made-up products are covered by the Regulation.
- The regulation does not cover size, country of origin, or washing/care label
Applying for a new Fiber Name
The information required to submit an amendment request to Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 shall comply with the minimum requirements set out in Annex II of the Regulation.
- The fiber is radically different from other fibres by chemical composition and/or by fiber properties
- The fiber is detectable and distinguishable from other fibers by standardised test methods
- The fiber is commercially available from at least two independent producers
- A new generic name is justified as the fiber cannot be classified into an existing generic name
If deemed necessary, samples of the fiber (yarns and/or fabrics) provided by the applicant shall undergo a technical analysis of the proposed fiber parameters, such as agreed allowance, correction d factors for loss in mass (to be applied for each method) etc. The purpose is to assess whether the fiber is identifiable and distinguishable from other already existing fibers.
All information is available on the following website: Legislation (europa.eu)
EN 14682 regulation covers all children's apparel, including disguise costumes and ski apparel, up to the age of 14. The aim is to reduce the risk of accidental entrapment with ropes or laces on children's apparel.
it is important to comply with this regulation when importing into the EU if your children's apparel contain any ropes or laces.
Some key points are identified in EN 14682 regulation:
- This system covers functional cord, ligament, decorative cord, elastic cord, shoulder strap, halter neck rope
- This regulation does not cover shoes, long shoes and the like
- Risk assessment is required to demonstrate that products do not harm children
- ropes or threads in the neck area shall not be used for babywear (headdresses are allowed).
- accessories such as buttons that can disintegrate and cause the risk of asphyxiation shall not be used.
This regulation restricts or completely prohibits the use of many chemicals in apparel and specific materials used in decor.
Chemicals commonly used in apparel production, which are restricted under the regulation include:
