China’s National Technical Committee of Garments of the Standardization Administration has issued an updated version of product standard GB/T 2662 for clothes with fillings. The 2017 version is the first amendment to the standard since 2008 and will be implemented soon. Despite several changes, the criteria still do not include infant clothing or garments containing down or feathers.

The standard covers mass produced garments that are filled with either natural fibres, chemical fibres or a blend of these materials. It also covers clothing that has animal/artificial fur linings but currently does not cover products containing down, feathers, or clothing for children below 36 months.

GB/T 2662-2017 contains several revisions including; the scope of the standard, information on auxiliary material, appearance defects, sewing/ironing rules, inspections and classification of finished products. New test areas which form part of the amended standard include fibre content, formaldehyde content, pH value, banned azo colorants, odour, dimensional changes after washing or dry cleaning and seam slippage. The latest version of the standard include a new provision that children’s clothing with fillings — for children aged 36 months to 14 years — should comply with the testing methods for finished products and the test method for safety performance of children’s clothing.