China’s National Standards Committee has approved first mandatory national standard GB 31701-2015 or the Technical Safety Code for Infants and Children Textile Products, the Chinese media reported.
The new standard is sub-divided into two parts—for infant wear suitable for children aged and under 36 months, and for kidswear suitable for children over 3 years old and under the age of 14.
Further, in terms of security requirements, children’s clothing is divided into types A, B and C. While A is the best, followed by type B, type C is the basic requirement.
In terms of chemical safety, the new national standard requires that all parameters of GB 18401 should be met. In addition, six kinds of plasticisers and lead, cadmium and two kinds of heavy metals are also included in the list of harmful substances, which makes the standard equivalent to EU standards and higher than the US standards.
In terms of mechanical safety, the standard makes detailed provision for cords in different parts of children’s wear. For clothing meant for infants and children below 7 years, the standard specifically mentions that there should not be any rope or belt around the neck area.
Accessories, including but not limited to buttons and zippers, must conform to the specified range of tensile strength, and should not contain any sharp edges or points. In addition, the standard has also increased requirements for combustion performance.
Although the standard would be formally implemented from June 1, 2016, a two-year transition period has been announced for the implementation of the standard from June 1, 2016 to May 31, 2018.
During the transition period, products manufactured prior to June 1, 2016 but not meeting the requirements of the new standard would be allowed to be sold in the market. However, beginning June 1, 2018, all products sold in the Chinese domestic market must meet the standard.
