Textile labelling requirements in the EU and US: fibre content, care, and origin

Which textile products need a label in the EU

Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 applies to textile products and to products containing at least 80% textile fibres by weight (Art 2). That includes furniture, umbrella and sunshade coverings, certain floor, mattress and camping coverings, and textiles forming an integral part of other products where their composition is specified.

Labelling or marking is mandatory whenever a textile product is made available on the market (Art 4, Art 14(1)). The information can be on an attached label or applied directly to the product, for example printed or woven in. Either way it must be durable, easily legible, visible and accessible, and a label must be securely attached.

The label must be in the official language(s) of the Member State where the product reaches the consumer, unless that Member State provides otherwise (Art 16(3)). Annex V lists 42 products for which labelling is not mandatory (Art 17(2)), and Annex VI allows inclusive labelling for some product groups (Art 17(3)). Annex V examples:

• Toys, watch straps, labels and badges, and artificial flowers.
• Textile parts of footwear, gaiters, travel goods of textile materials, and make-up cases.
• Phone and media-player covers up to 160 cm², multi-component table mats up to 500 cm², and oven gloves and cloths.
• Protective and safety textiles, disposable products (except wadding), animal clothing, flags, and banners.

EU fibre names: use the Annex I name, not the trade name

Only the fibre names listed in Annex I of the Regulation may be used to describe fibre composition (Art 5). Supplier specs often use codes, trademarks, or marketing terms instead, so each needs converting before it reaches a label or listing. Annex I has been amended over time, so check the consolidated version for the current list.

How to write fibre composition: EU rules and tolerances

Most label errors come from using the right fibre names in the wrong format. The Regulation sets specific rules for single-fibre products, blends, small amounts, multi-part products, and animal-derived trims.

Care labels: voluntary in the EU, mandatory for US apparel

Regulation 1007/2011 covers only fibre names, composition, and non-textile parts of animal origin (Art 1), so care labelling is not mandated at EU level. Care symbols on European garments mostly come from the GINETEX system, a private, voluntary scheme reported to be aligned with ISO 3758. Check national rules and retailer requirements in each market you sell into.

In the US, the FTC Care Labeling Rule (16 CFR 423) requires manufacturers and importers of textile wearing apparel, and certain piece goods, to attach permanent care labels. The label must be visible or easy to find at the point of sale; otherwise the care information must also appear on the package or a hang tag (423.6(a)).

US textile labels: fibre content, business identity, and wool

Under the Textile Fiber Products Identification Act rules (16 CFR 303), the label must show the generic fibre names and percentages by weight, the identity of the manufacturer or dealer, and the country of origin (303.16). The FTC’s business guide on the textile and wool acts explains these rules in plain terms.

Wool products follow 16 CFR 300: fibre content with generic names and percentages, the maximum percentage of any non-fibrous loading or filling, the name or RN, and the country of origin (300.3, 300.25), in English (300.7). Wool and recycled wool percentages are always stated, even below 5%. The FTC notes the wool rules can cover items the Textile Act exempts, such as hats.

• Fibre content: generic names in order of predominance by weight for every fibre of 5% or more. Fibres under 5% are “other fiber(s)” unless functionally significant, for example “4% spandex” (303.3).
• Business identity: the business name, a registered word trademark used as a house mark (303.19), or an RN, a registered identification number the FTC issues to US-resident firms through rn.ftc.gov (303.20).
• Language and format: English (303.4), with no abbreviations, ditto marks, or asterisk footnotes (303.5).
• Placement: garments with a neck carry the country of origin at the inside centre of the neck, and origin is always on the front side of the label (303.15(b)).
• Tolerance: ±3% of total fibre weight (303.43), not for “100%” or “All” claims except for ornamentation (303.27, 303.43(c)).

US country of origin, online disclosure, and Made in USA claims

Textile origin rules (303.33) apply online as well as on the label. The FTC defines mail-order promotional material to include material disseminated by electronic means (303.1(u)), so a product page counts. For internet listings, the description must clearly and conspicuously say whether the product is Made in U.S.A., imported, or both (16 CFR 303.34; 15 U.S.C. 70b(i)); wool products have a parallel rule in 300.25a. Section 303.41 is different: it covers fibre trademarks and generic names in advertising.

If an ad uses a fibre name or fibre trademark, it must give full fibre-content disclosure at least once, and advertising may list fibres in order of predominance without percentages (303.41–303.42).

• Imported products: the country where the product was processed or manufactured, as determined under US Customs and Border Protection rules.
• Made in the US of US-made materials: “Made in U.S.A.” or an equivalent phrase.
• Made in the US with imported materials: a qualified label such as “Made in USA of imported fabric”.
• Processed partly abroad: describe both, for example “Imported cloth, finished in USA”. Origin analysis follows the “one step removed” approach in 303.33(b).
• Made in USA claims: textile and wool products follow this statutory standard. The FTC’s general Made in USA Labeling Rule (16 CFR 323) uses an “all or virtually all” test for labels, including mail-order seals and marks, and does not replace other origin-labelling laws (323.5).

EU vs US textile labelling side by side

Most brands keep one fibre-composition record per product and render it differently for each market. This comparison shows where the outputs diverge.

What to show in online textile listings

In the EU, fibre composition must be clearly visible before purchase, including where the purchase is made by electronic means, in uniform print (Art 16(1)). In the US, the origin disclosure is mandatory online and the fibre-content advertising rules apply. Other EU rules add to this: under the GPSR, online offers need product identification and operator details, plus warnings or safety information where applicable.

• EU: full composition with Annex I names and percentages, in the target market’s language, worded exactly as on the label.
• US: a clear origin statement (Made in U.S.A., imported, or both) in the description, and full fibre content at least once if any fibre name or trademark appears.
• Multi-component items: composition per component (shell, lining, filling).
• Care: any care information on the page should match the permanent label.
• Variants: check composition per colour or size; a dyed or coated variant can have a different blend.

Textile label checklist

Work through these steps per product and per market before you print labels or publish listings, and keep the supplier’s test report or specification with the product record.

If you handle many supplier spec sheets, Doc2Shelf can extract fibre composition, origin, and care data from the PDFs, then draft EU and US textile declaration documents and listing copy for review, with missing items flagged as [REQUIRED] placeholders. It does not test fibre content or replace qualified sign-off of the label.

1. Confirm scope: a textile product or at least 80% textile fibres (EU), not on the Annex V list; check whether US wool rules also apply.
2. Collect fibre composition per component, test reports, care instructions, and the country of manufacture from the supplier.
3. Convert every fibre to its Annex I name (EU) and generic name (US), removing codes and trademarks used in place of names.
4. Order percentages by weight and apply “other fibres” only within the thresholds.
5. Split multi-component products and add the animal-origin statement where relevant (EU).
6. Add US-only elements: business name, house mark or RN, country of origin, and care instructions for apparel.
7. Translate EU labels into each target Member State’s official language(s); keep US labels in English.
8. Check placement and permanence, including origin at the inside neck for US garments with a neck.
9. Publish matching listing content, and re-check whenever the supplier, blend, or factory changes.

Common textile labelling mistakes

These errors turn up most often when supplier data is copied straight onto labels and product pages.

What is changing: textile EPR and the expected textile DPP

Directive (EU) 2025/1892, published on 26 September 2025, amends the Waste Framework Directive. Member States must set up extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes for textiles, textile-related products, and footwear by 17 April 2028, covering producers established outside the EU that sell into the EU. Transposition is due by 17 June 2027, so national rules will differ by country.

Textiles and apparel are also a priority group in the ESPR working plan 2025–2030. A textile Digital Product Passport is expected under a future ESPR delegated act, indicatively 2027 per the Commission working plan. That is an indicative date, not a legal deadline. Separately, the ESPR ban on destroying unsold apparel, clothing accessories, and footwear has applied to large companies since 19 July 2026. Keeping composition, origin, and care data in a structured per-product record, not only on artwork files, prepares you for both.