Commercial Information Circulars

24-hour hotline : 23 922 922

e-mail address : enquiry@tid.gov.hk

Ref : EIC 111/2/20

4 April 2011

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 205/2011

US : American Apparel & Footwear Association's Restricted Substances List

The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) published in March 2011 the latest (eighth) edition of the "AAFA Restricted Substances List (RSL)" to provide information on regulations and laws that restrict or ban certain chemicals and substances in finished home textile, apparel, and footwear products around the world. The RSL is available at https://www.apparelandfootwear.org/Resources/RestrictedSubstances.asp.

2.The RSL includes only those materials, chemicals, and substances (e.g. arylamines, disperse dyes, solvents, pesticides, asbestos, fluorinated greenhouse gases, dioxins & furans, flame retardants, metals, organotin compounds, miscellaneous chemicals, and phthalates) that are restricted or banned by regulations or laws in finished home textile, apparel, and footwear products. In each case, the RSL identifies the most restrictive regulation. It does not include regulations that restrict the use of substances in production processes or in the factory. 

3.The RSL is updated on a regular basis. Traders are advised to visit the above website for the latest version, and seek clarifications with their importers in the US in order to comply with the necessary requirements.

ENQUIRIES

4.For enquiries concerning the content of this circular, please contact Miss S Y Tang at telephone number 2398 5405.

Yours faithfully,

(Miss Bonny CHAO)

for Director-General of Trade and Industry