On 31st of December the Standardization Administration of The People`s Republic of China Bulletin No.33 has approved for publication a total of 107 newly approved national standards including the GB/T22849-2014 ”Knitted T-shirt”. CTI as one of the main standard drafting committee members, participated in the drafting of this GB/T 22849-2014 ”Knitted T-shirt” the new standard will be officially implemented on the 1st of June.

Compared with the 2009 version, the main differences are:

— Addition to this standard is that it does not apply to infants clothing for children not older than 36 months (Chapter 1);

— Modified the size requirement of the product (Chapter 3)

— Deleted the “net content” for fibre content (4.3.1 and 5.1.2.1)

— Revised the requirements of dimensional change after washing (warp direction), and unifying the requirements for the weft and warp directions.

— Adjusted the requirement of bursting strength, colour fastness to light, colour fastness to perspiration and light, colour fastness to wet rubbing, colour fastness to print and pyro graph , pilling (4.3.1, 4.3.1)

— Added the requirements of appearance quality (4.3.1 and 5.1.2.8)

— Revised the provisions of surface defects evaluation (4.4.1, 4.4.2.1)

— Revised the requirements of sewing quality (4.4.4, 4.4.6)

— Increased the detail about dimensional change after washing test (5.1.2.6)

Information obtained from: http://www.sac.gov.cn/gjbzgg/201433/

Product standards are not only used to guide and as an important basis for production, management and control of product quality but also in maintaining the lawful rights and interest of consumers, they also an important basis for judging quality arbitration. Product quality according to the product quality law of China in line with the adopted product standards should be indicated on the product or its packaging. China standardization law requires that businesses development of new products, products improvement or technical renovation shall conform to the standardization requirements. Mandatory standard GB5296.4-2012 for the instruction for use of textile and apparel products, requires the instructions for use of textile and apparel products be marked according to the adopted product standards. Therefore attention and full understanding of the product standards is required and essential for apparel and textiles brands, and to prove that manufacturers product meets the requirements of the latest relevant product standards.

CTI recommends that all producers and resellers of knitted T-shirt products should be adequately prepared for the updated requirements of this national standard GB/T22849-2014.

CTI will be conducting seminars in China.