SG 111/26
China updates national requirements for textile fiber content identification and labeling.
The Standardization Administration of China issued GB/T 29862-2026, Textiles – Technical specification for identification of fiber content. Published as part of China’s No. 30 announcement of approved national standards in 2026, the standard replaces GB/T 29862-2013 and will take effect on August 1, 2027.
What does this regulation require?
This standard specifies the technical requirements for the identification, declaration and labeling of fiber content in textile products. It replaces GB/T 29862-2013 and establishes rules for how fiber composition should be declared, expressed and presented on textile product labels, ensuring that fiber content information provided to consumers is accurate, consistent and presented in a standardized manner.
Terms and definitions
- Textile product – a product made primarily from natural or man-made fibers through processes such as spinning, knitting/weaving, dyeing and nonwoven production, and/or through further processes such as sewing or bonding.
NOTE: textile products include yarns, fabrics and products made therefrom
- Label – a carrier that conveys product-related information by means of words, symbols, numbers, graphics or other forms.
NOTE: The main forms of labels include those directly printed or woven onto the product, sewn or hung to the product, or printed or pasted onto the product packaging.
- Permanent label – a label permanently attached to a product that remains clear and readily identifiable throughout the product’s normal use
Requirements
The requirements are divided into five parts:
- Fiber Content Label Requirements (GB/T 29862-2026, Clause 4)
- Fiber Content Declaration Requirements (GB/T 29862-2026, Clause 5)
- Fiber Content Tolerance Requirements (GB/T 29862-2026, Clause 6)
- Fiber Content Test Methods (GB/T 29862-2026, Clause 7)
- Conformity Judgement of Fiber Content Identification (GB/T 29862-2026, Clause 8)
Main technical changes
Compared with GB/T 29862-2013, GB/T 29862-2026 introduces the following major technical changes:
Additions:
- A formal definition for the term ‘label’
- Requirement that digital labels shall not be solely adopted
- Labeling requirements for names of recycled fibers, and notes on specific names of different types of down and feathers
- Labeling methods and examples for products containing coated fibers, bicomponent composite fibers and recycled fibers
- New test methods for textile fiber content
Revisions:
- Definitions of the terms ‘textile product’ and ‘permanent label’
- The provision ‘ensure the information on labels is not covered or concealed’ is revised to ‘the information on labels is clearly identifiable’
- Expression methods of fiber content for products with lining
- Specifications on combined labeling of fiber content of spliced fabrics
- Names and labeling specifications of reinforcing fibers
- The judgment rules for conformity of fiber content labeling are classified into two categories: non-compliance of fiber content labeling and non-compliance of fiber content deviation
- Conversion of selected notes under 5.2 in the 2013 edition into formal clauses
Deletions:
- Labeling requirements for a whole set of products with different fiber contents and those with identical fiber contents but sold separately
Who is impacted?
The updated standard affects a wide range of stakeholders across the textile supply chain, including:
- Textile and apparel manufacturers responsible for determining and declaring fiber content on products
- Importers, exporters, brand owners, retailers and distributors placing textile products on the Chinese market
- Testing laboratories, certification bodies and inspection organizations that assess fiber composition and labeling compliance
When does it apply?
Published on July 2, 2026, it will come into effect on August 1, 2027.
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