China has issued a revised version of its national product standard for knitted sportswear – GB/T 22853-2019. 

The new version was issued by the National Technical Committee of Garments under the Standardization Administration of China. It was included in No. 7 announcement 2019 and it will replace the 2009 version of the standard.  

GB/T 22853-2019 applies to all knitted sportswear expect infant clothing designed for use by children aged 36 months or less.

There are several important revisions to GB/T 22853, contained in the 2019 version. These include the following additions:

• The statement: “This standard does not apply to infant clothing aged 36 months or younger”
• Normative reference documents GB/T 6529, GB/T 21655.1-2008, GB/T 29862, GB/T 31127-2014, GB31701, FZ/T01101
• Terms: "fluorescence colour" and "children garment"
• Colourfastness to wet rubbing (children), absorption and quick-drying performance, and appearance after laundering
• Requirement that children’s clothing should also comply with the relevant provisions of GB 31701
• Requirement that colourfastness to laundering, colourfastness to rubbing, colourfastness to perspiration and colourfastness to water do not need to be tested for natural colours or bleached products
• Requirement that absorption and quick-drying performance are only evaluated for products with this function clearly claimed for the garment
• Test methods for absorption, quick-drying and appearance after laundering
• Measurement sketch of skirt and rules of measuring parts
• Single piece judgement rules and other judgement rules

Revisions include:

• Requirements for colourfastness testing of shell and lining
• Requirements for colourfastness to light, colourfastness to light with artificial perspiration and bursting strength
• Code of GB/T 8629
• Rule of grade classification
• Sewing requirements
• Assessment of appearance defects and instruction for use
• Tables 4 and 5 renamed Tables 3 and 4, plus revision to assessment items and requirements in these tables

Removed items include:

• Colourfastness to laundering and colourfastness to rubbing for printed (or pyrographic) fabric
• GB/T 251, GB/T 2911, GB/T 8878, FZ/T 01053 from the Normative References

The standard also includes a comprehensive range of physical and chemical test requirements, including internal quality and appearance quality. The former includes fiber content, formaldehyde, pH value, odor, decomposable carcinogenic aromatic amines, colourfastness (colourfastness to laundering, colourfastness to rubbing, colourfastness to perspiration, colourfastness to water, colourfastness to light, colourfastness to light with artificial perspiration, colourfastness to transfer in joints), seam strength for trouser back rise, bursting strength, pilling, dimensional change after laundering, skewness after laundering, absorption and quick-drying and appearance after laundering. Appearance quality includes appearance defects, dimension tolerance, dimension difference in symmetric position and sewing requirements.

Stakeholders should be aware the new standard will be implemented from January 1, 2020.

SGS Softlines Services

SGS has a worldwide network of over 40 state-of-the-art laboratories specializing in testing of apparel, footwear and home textiles. Their committed team is drawn from multi-disciplinary backgrounds, allowing them to carry out a comprehensive range of physical, chemical and functional testing services for components, materials and finished products. SGS helps companies ensure quality, performance and compliance with international, industrial and regulatory standards worldwide. Learn more about SGS’s Softlines Services.

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