NPE is banned in EU textile imports

According to news of 22 July 2015 from Greenpeace International, all EU state members voted to ban NPE from textile imports. The decision prevents textile containing dangerous levels of NPE to enter the EU. If passed by the European Commission, the ban will be effective within five years, which allows a transitional period that sufficient to eliminate NPE in the supply chain.
 
In fact, EU banned the use of NPE in textile from manufacturing about a decade ago. According to Entry 46 of Annex XVII to Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH): Nonylphenol ethoxylate (NPE) shall not be placed on the market or used as a substance or constituent of preparations in concentrations equal or higher than 0,1 % by mass textiles and leather processing. However, it poses no restrictions to the NPE content of the textile, which leads to continuous entry to the EU and greatly threatens the health of the EU consumers. So the ban will make up the loophole of the regulation.
 
Officially known as nonylphenol ethoxylates, NPEs are used in textile production as wetting agents, detergents, and emulsifiers. This toxic chemical then remains in the garment, released once you wash your clothing, breaking down to form toxic nonylphenol (NP). Nonylphenol is a persistent chemical with hormone-disrupting properties that builds up in the food chain and is hazardous even at very low levels.
 
EU is a market with enormous potential for textile exports of China. Once implemented, the ban will force our textile manufacturers for the EU market to adjust techniques during production and look for safer alternatives as printing and dyeing auxiliaries, which may increase cost of production and even greatly impact textile exports in China. Therefore, it is pressing for China’s textile industry to check and ban hazardous substances in products, otherwise the share of Chinese textile will shrink in the EU market under grimmer situation.
 
Of course, the influence and reputation of “Made in China” will be greatly expanded if relevant Chinese businesses take the opportunities to gain technical advantages. In the other hand, the application of cleaning technology can, to some degree, release the pollution caused by discharge of waste water, which is Chinese consumers would like to see.
 
Reminder: Generally, EU authorities adopt selective inspection in the market to monitor relevant goods after certain ban takes into force. So the recall risks for textile for EU exports are surging. It is advisable that exporters should select authoritative testing agencies for detection and elimination of hazardous substances so as to avoid risks during trade.