Consumers have been warned to think twice when buying a clothes with 'Made in China' label, as recent research showed they can contain dangerous chemicals.
The warning comes following a study carried out for the European Commission by Centexbel, the Belgian Centre for Textiles and Plastics. It showed that one garment in six coming from China contains chemicals that contain carcinogenic substances. These include bisphenol, nickel or chromium-6, which can also induce skin irritations or be hormone-disrupting.
"I am particularly shocked by what I read. It is clear that we have to act quickly and everyone has to get around the table to make controls more efficient," said State Secretary for Consumer Protection Alexia Bertrand.
She is therefore working to bring the sector together with the various competent inspectorates and her colleagues within the Federal Government. This will likely lead to stricter controls in Belgium on imported textiles from China in the short term.
EU-wide, and individual effort
Once a product is on the European market, it can end up in any shop through the free movement of goods that exists on the continent. While every EU Member State needs to apply equal standards, if controls are not carried out thoroughly enough in one country, it can affect the whole market.
"There is not an intensive enough search for dangerous imports, which means it makes no difference whether you buy Chinese clothes directly online in China, in a local market in Europe or a branded clothing shop," Bertrand added. She will therefore also put the issue high on the agenda of the Belgian EU Presidency after the New Year.
Finally, Bertrand noted that there are also steps that consumers can take to keep themselves safe. "As a consumer, you should keep this study in mind when you see 'Made in China' on the label of clothes or any other textile product." If products are made in China, they should be washed before first use.
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She gave consumers some tips on how to make conscious purchases, for example by considering buying textiles with official eco-labels, such as the EU eco-label. "Textiles with such a label have limited use of harmful chemicals in their manufacture."
Finally, she encouraged consumers to exercise their right to information if the textiles they buy contain substances of very high concern substances above a certain limit.
