Korea to Amend Safety and Quality Labeling Requirements for Leather Products

HONG KONG - Jan. 31, 2014 - PRLog -- Changes in the Safety and Quality Labeling Standards for Leather Products

- The scope of artificial leather has been divided into coated leather, laminated leather, recombinant leather and synthetic leather.

- Requirements for hazardous substances are classified by the age of a person and the duration of skin contact.

- Requirements for Phthalates, Organotin compounds, Lead, Cadmium, Nickel release and Arylamines have been added.

- Model classification and filling material have been eliminated from label information.

Key Definitions for Leather Products

- “Leather products” shall refer to products where more than 60% of the total surface is made of natural leather (hide) or synthetic leather (hide) or natural fur (fur).

- If the surface of a product labeled as natural leather is laminated or coated with resin to impart color or waterproofing, the thickness of the resin or lamination shall not exceed 0.15mm.

- Coated leather refers to a leather product whose surface may be coated with various pigments, binders and synthetic resins applied by means of spray, padding, roll coating, etc. The thickness of this surface layer, however, shall not exceed one-third of the total thickness of the product but should be more than 0.15mm.

- “Laminated leather” pertains to a composite of two or more layers of leather or a layer of leather and one or more layers of another sheet of film of plastic or some other material. The thickness of the materials other than the layers of leather shall be more than 0.15mm and account for more than one-third of the total thickness.

- “Leather products for infants” refer to leather clothing and other products especially for infants < 36 months.

- “Leather products for children” refer to leather products including inner wear, mid wear, outer wear, clothing, bedding, bags (including school bags), etc., for children above> 36 months but < under 14 years.

- All leather products other than those for infants and children shall be classified as “inner wear”, “mid wear”, “outer wear”, “bedding”, and “others”.

General Safety Requirements

- Small components used in leather products for infants shall comply with the “Test for Small Component” and “Tension Test for Small Component” in accordance with Self-Regulatory Safety Confirmation Standard Annex 36 – Toys.

- Any harmful magnet or magnet component defined in the “Safety Standard for Restricted Substances Commonly Applied to Industrial Products for Children” shall not be used for industrial products for infants and children in leather products (e.g. children’s textile goods, children’s apparel, childcare products, children’s jewelry, etc.).

- Cord and tightening strings applied to leather products should comply in accordance with KS K 0941 or EN 14682.

Safety Requirements on Restricted Substances for Leather Products

- Products used in fabric materials must meet the safety requirements for toxic substances as stated in Self-Regulatory Safety Confirmation Standard Annex 4 –Textiles for Infants and Safety and in Quality Labeling Standards Annex 1 – Household Textiles.

- The requirements apply to the upper of leather shoes, shoe lining, and inner soles if the product is for children or adults. For infant footwear, the entire product must meet the safety requirements.

Highlights of the safety requirements of restricted substances for leather products are summarized in Table 1(http://newsletter.sgs.com/eNewsletterPro/uploadedimages/0...) within the latest SafeguardS bulletin.

Requirements for Leather Product Labeling

(The label should be written in Korean and with the “KC Mark”)

- Product Name (as Leather Product)

- Types of Material

- Size

- Manufacturing Date

- Name of Manufacturer

- Name of Importer (for imported products)

- Address and Telephone No. of the certifier (domestic manufacturer or importer)

- Country of Origin

- Product Care Instruction

References:

(1) KATS - http://www.kats.go.kr/htm/news/announcement.asp#n (in Korean)

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