What certifications are required for clothing exports to Europe

The European market is one of the important destinations for global trade. In order to ensure the legality and compliance of products in the European market, companies need to comply with certification requirements set by the European Union (EU). For clothing products, sellers need to provide some specific safety and quality standard certifications, which may include but are not limited to CE certification, REACH certification or other certification standards.

OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 certification complies with the requirements for textiles in Annex XVII of the EU REACH regulation. It helps textile companies meet the requirements of international regulations and industry initiatives, and meets the import standards of the international market. It also helps textile companies showcase their products to consumers. Commitment to quality and sustainability. And it will be updated every year according to the latest laws and regulations to meet the certification needs of textile companies in different export locations.

In addition, although OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 certification is not a mandatory requirement in the European market, it is the most extensive textile ecological label in the world. Obtaining OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 certification can prove that the clothing products to be exported do not contain substances harmful to the human body. It is completely healthy, safe and environmentally friendly, thereby enhancing the competitiveness and credibility of the product and improving the European market pass rate.

OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 certification is based on the latest scientific knowledge and conducts more than 300 hazardous substance tests on textile raw materials, semi-finished and finished products, and all auxiliary materials. It not only covers important legal and regulatory requirements, but also includes hazardous substances that are harmful to health but are not subject to legal Regulated chemical substances. Textiles certified by OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 mean that these products not only follow strict environmental guidelines during the manufacturing process, but also undergo strict quality control and testing for harmful chemicals. Only manufacturers that have passed these strict testing and inspection procedures and provided demonstrable quality guarantees are allowed to use the OEKO-TEX label on their products.

The specific process of obtaining the OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 certification can be divided into the following steps:

1Submit application form and test samples

2Tested based on OEKO-TEX® certified testing standards

3Issue a test report and the customer submits a declaration of conformity

4Certificate issued after successful test

5Conduct on-site audit of the enterprise after the certificate is issued

The charges for OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 certification include certificate fees, mandatory audit fees and laboratory testing costs. The specific cost of hazardous substance testing is based on the testing costs of various textiles or materials. Cost estimates can be obtained from the designated OEKO-TEX® agency.

Using certified raw materials can significantly reduce laboratory testing costs because repeated testing does not need to be performed. In all aspects of production, only new materials need to be tested. Since OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 certification adopts a modular system, all companies in the entire textile chain virtually share the cost of testing.

If you want to successfully pass this certification, you need to find a certification agency with strong professionalism and good service. Hohenstein is the founding organization and official certification agency of the OEKO-TEX Association. It established its China headquarters in Shanghai in 2007. In order to better meet the needs of Chinese customers for textile testing, it has since established offices in Guangzhou, Ningbo and other places. An office has been established to provide professional and efficient oeko-tex standard100 certification services for Chinese textile companies. It has opened Asia's first laboratory in Hong Kong, and the laboratory in Shanghai has also been put into operation. Next year, it will expand its testing scope to the field of light industrial products.

If you want to know more, you can refer to the official oeko-tex standard100 interpretation:

In general, although OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 certification is not a necessary certification standard for clothing exports to Europe, it can prove that the clothing exported by your company is healthy and harmless ecological textiles, helping companies optimize risk management and implement social responsibilities , improve the European market competitiveness and international popularity, and gain the trust and favor of consumers. It is recommended that you apply for OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 certification to improve the pass rate of clothing exports to Europe.