Textile and clothing exports: three barriers to pay attention to

Fabric workwear is my country’s traditional advantageous industry and an important export commodity in Ningbo. However, the recent economic downturn in major markets has The fabric workwear industry has also been affected. According to Ningbo Customs statistics, in the first three quarters of 2016, Ningbo’s exports of fabric yarn, fabrics and products were 89.42 billion yuan, and the exports of workwear and accessories were 50.03 billion yuan, down 1.5% and 1.5% respectively year-on-year. 5.3%. Against the background of declining market demand, ecological and environmental protection barriers led by Europe and the United States are still rising. The impact on China’s export fabric industry cannot be ignored and requires continued attention.

Two types of key additives enter the countdown to ban

At the beginning of this year, the European Union implemented revisions to the REACH regulations, which will comprehensively ban fabrics with NPEO content exceeding 0.01% from entering the market. In October this year, the EU announced a notification through the WTO that it will ban the production and sale of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) substances in all aspects, and the PFOA content in any consumer products shall not exceed 25 micrograms/kg (ppb), and the content of its related substances shall not exceed 1000ppb. NPEO is called nonylphenol polyoxyethylene ether. It is an extremely important printing and dyeing auxiliary in the light textile industry. It is widely used in dyeing, finishing and cleaning processes of fabrics and genuine leather. PFOA is a water-blocking and waterproof agent produced in the industry. Key additives for functional workwear such as oil and stain resistance.

The hazards of NPE and PFOA have long attracted social attention. Research shows that the former will enter the environment as clothing is washed and decompose Nonylphenol and other environmental hormones are released, interfering with human endocrine and reproductive health. PFOA has been proven to be a persistent and cumulative poison that is not easily degraded. It can be absorbed by the human body through skin contact and food chain, and has negative effects on nerves, immunity and reproduction. system, etc.

However, NPE and PFOA are still two important types of auxiliaries in the current fabric industry. Their ban in the short term will bring great harm to the light textile industry. It has brought huge impact. Even the EU, which has mature technology, is very cautious and has set transition periods ranging from 3 years to 5 years. Compared with the EU, my country has many small and medium-sized enterprises, and there is still a gap in technology. There is great pressure to complete technology upgrades during the transition period. Especially after NPE and PFOA were banned, companies were still faced with the dilemma of not having mature alternatives. For example, similar substances such as perfluorononanoic acid, which has similar properties to PFOA, have also been included in the European Union’s high Regarding substances of concern, the price of C6 additives that can currently be used for substitution has nearly doubled, but the performance is still insufficient. In the context of meager profits in the industry, more and more traditional additives are banned, which will force enterprises to accelerate transformation and survive the fittest.

Green ecological fabric product barriers continue to upgrade

In addition to the pressure of the production process, the ecological safety requirements of finished products are changing with each passing day. The American Workwear and Footwear Safety Association The 17th edition of the Restricted Substances List was released at the beginning of the year, announcing more than 250 substances banned or restricted in use in workwear, footwear and home textile products in more than 12 categories, covering restricted substances stipulated in chemical governance and product safety requirements, such as according to the European Union REACH regulations and POP�The regulations have added new restrictions on lead and fire retardants respectively. The rapid growth of the list means that the trend of upgrading international environmental protection barriers for light textile products has increased.

As the vane of international ecological fabrics, the International Environmentally Friendly Fabrics Association (OEKO-TEX) announced the implementation of the 2016 version this year The OEKO-TEX100 standard has been significantly updated, with dozens of antifungal agents, phthalates, organotins, carcinogenic dyes and other substances included in the control list. For example, 9 new chlorinated phenols have been added to the restricted list. Such substances are textile Antifungal, antiseptic and bacteriostatic agents are commonly used in slurries, but they are teratogenic and carcinogenic. Chlorinated phenols remaining in the fibers will also form dioxin-like substances when old clothes are burned and destroyed, causing lasting harm. What needs attention Yes, three new compounds, perfluoroheptanoic acid, perfluorononanoic acid and perfluorodecanoic acid, have been added to the list, which means that these substances will also be gradually banned along with PFOA.

The increasingly stringent green barriers have an increasingly prominent impact on the fabric industry. According to statistics, since this year, my country’s export of fabrics has There have been more than a hundred incidents of equipment recalls being implemented abroad. In the context of rising technical barriers, industry risk prevention cannot be relaxed.

Green manufacturing will become the key to sustainable development

In the context of “remanufacturing” in European and American countries, increasing technical barriers may become a way for developed countries to rely on their own technological advantages. The “catalyst” to promote “manufacturing reshoring”. With the increase in consumer safety demand, if my country’s light textile industry cannot keep up with the pace of green manufacturing transformation, not only will export trade risks continue to increase, but it may even lead to a loss of domestic market share. Squeeze.

For the majority of export companies, if they want to survive and develop in the fiercely competitive international market, they must follow the trend and always On the other hand, it is necessary to strengthen the awareness of social responsibility. Pay timely attention to the technical regulations of the fabric industry, increase investment in research and development of “green technology”, reduce harmful emissions, win social respect, and achieve sustainable development of the enterprise. The second is to strictly implement quality control. For technology limited Hazardous substance residues that cannot be completely avoided temporarily due to factors such as other factors must be strictly implemented on the basis of strengthening the control of raw and auxiliary materials to ensure that product quality meets the requirements and avoid subsequent quality disputes.

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