China continues to be the largest source of clothing and accessories detected as being unsafe for consumers in the European Union (EU), according to data analysed by just-style from the EU Safety Gate database.
Formerly the EU Rapid Alert System (RAPEX), the database shows that of the 221 safety warnings issued by the system about apparel and accessory products in 2018, 102 of these lines were supplied from China. There was a similar pattern in 2017, with 97 of the 250 unsafe fashion items reported that year having been made in China. And in 2016, Chinese manufacturers supplied 106 of the 245 clothing and accessory items deemed unsafe by EU consumer authorities. Another country whose products sparked a significant number of safety warnings for clothing and accessories was Turkey, with 52 in 2018, and 53 in 2017.
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By comparison for 2018, regarding other some other major outsourcing countries, only two safety reports for clothing and accessories were lodged for items made in Bangladesh, eight from India, and none at all from Cambodia and Indonesia.
Commenting on the concerns about safety standards in China-made products, a European Commission note says that “cooperation with Chinese authorities in the product safety field continues to be a priority, but the results are mixed”. It adds that the EU executive “continues to work with the competent Chinese authorities,” including raising awareness about product safety rules that apply when exporting to the EU.
The Safety Gate system’s latest 2018 annual update reports that EU authorities exchanged 2,257 alerts on dangerous products, of which around 10% were about clothing, textiles and fashion items – the third most common category – with toys being the most common (31%), followed by motor vehicles (19%). The main risks flagged were chemical risks and physical injuries (25% each) – with chemical risks including the use of potentially harmful dyes and injuries including potential strangulation by poorly designed drawstrings.
