The Federal Trade Commission has approved changes to the Wool Products Labeling Rules. These now incorporate the Wool Act’s new definitions for cashmere and fine wools and allow the industry greater flexibility when it comes to advertising certain fibers on hangtags.

Previously, the Wool Rules had been reviewed in both 1998 and 2000. Now, the changes look at conforming with alterations made in 2006 to the Wool Act (Wool Products Labeling Act 1939), which includes clarifying new definitions and descriptions of textile products and allowing certain hang-tags disclosing fiber trademarks and performance. The Wool Rules also ensure that wool products label the name and place of the manufacturer, and display information about the fiber content.

However, an important change is an amended rule on hangtag disclosures, which will allow companies to identify or highlight a fiber in a garment without having to disclose a product’s full fiber content on the hangtag. The changes made to the Wool Act eight years ago included the rule that products identified as cashmere or as containing very fine wools would be deemed as misbranded, unless they have no more than the average fiber diameter specified in the Act.