From 1 July 2026, the mandatory national standard replacing the 2007 version comes into force. New microbiological tests, residual chlorine requirements and labelling obligations for recycled fibres: here is everything companies exporting to China need to know.
01 July 2026
Compliance Deadline
Non-compliant products may be blocked at customs or withdrawn from retail. Penalties can reach up to 3 times the value of the goods.
What it is and what it covers
GB 18383-2025 is the Chinese mandatory national standard defining the general technical requirements for all products containing filling and padding materials intended for the market of the People’s Republic of China. Under the regulatory definition, products are divided into daily-use products and non-daily-use products.
This overview focuses exclusively on daily-use products, meaning those that come into direct contact with the human body in everyday life.
Daily-use products include: padded clothing, footwear with padded insoles or uppers, accessories with fibre filling, bedding, upholstered furniture and stuffed toys.
The new version of the standard introduces mandatory microbiological tests and residual chlorine requirements that were not covered by the 2007 edition.
Scope: what is included and what is not
SUBJECT TO GB 18383
- Padded clothing (down jackets, quilted jackets, coats)
- Footwear with padded insoles or uppers
- Accessories with fibre filling (hats, gloves)
- Bedding (quilts, mattresses, pillows)
- Upholstered furniture (sofas, seats, loungers)
- Stuffed toys and padded gift products
EXCLUDED FROM GB 18383
- Pure down and feather products (covered by GB/T 10288 and GB/T 17685)
- Clothing and accessories without padding
- Generic packaging and industrial materials
Key changes from the 2007 edition
The revision introduces substantial changes compared to the previous version. Below is a point-by-point comparison of the two standards.
Requirement | GB 18383-2007 | GB 18383-2025 |
Physical safety | Absence of metallic/sharp objects | Confirmed + absence of visible dust (organoleptic inspection) |
Short fibres (≤13 mm) | Requirement present | Max 25% — updated test method GB/T 43811 [AMENDED] |
Impurity rate | Requirement present | Limits confirmed by fibre type [AMENDED] |
Free residual chlorine | Not covered | ≤10 mg/kg (upholstered furniture only) [NEW] |
Total bacterial count | Not covered | ≤10³ (cat. A) / ≤10⁴ (cat. B) CFU/g [NEW] |
Total fungal count | Not covered | ≤50 (A) / ≤100 (B) / ≤200 (C) CFU/g [NEW] |
Coliforms | Not covered | Not detectable (cat. A) / ≤100 MPN/g (cat. B) [NEW] |
Recycled fibres | No specific rules | Mandatory label declaration; prohibited (except PET) for children ≤36 months [NEW] |
Fibre content tolerance | Requirement present | Detailed rules for single fibre / blends [AMENDED] |
Labelling for non-daily use products | Specific section | Specific section removed; recycled content declaration introduced [AMENDED] |
Technical requirements in detail
The tests required by the standard are divided into six main areas. Areas D and E are entirely new compared to the previous version.
A | Physical safety
Absence of dangerous foreign bodies (needles, wire, wood splinters) and visible dust. Verified by organoleptic inspection.
B | Short fibres
[AMENDED]
Fibres of length ≤13 mm must not exceed 25% of the total. Test method: GB/T 43811. Exception applies for mattresses, cotton and down products.
C | Impurity rate
Limits by material type: cotton/blends ≤1.4% · wool/cashmere ≤1.2% · pure silk ≤0.5% · down/feather ≤3.0% · other ≤2.0%.
D | Free residual chlorine
[NEW 2025]
Applies only to upholstered furniture (sofas, seats). Limit: ≤10 mg/kg. Test method: GB/T 28025.
E | Microbiology
[NEW 2025]
Total bacterial count, fungal count and coliforms assessed according to GB 18401 safety categories (A/B/C). Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and haemolytic Streptococcus must be undetectable.
F | Fibre content tolerance
[AMENDED]
Single declared fibre: tolerance 0. Two or more fibres: tolerance 10%. Fibre comprising ≤20% of total: tolerance 5%. Fibre comprising ≤5%: actual content may not be zero.
2025 update: recycled fibres
GB 18383-2025 introduces for the first time a specific framework for recycled materials, distinguishing between mechanically recycled fibres (obtained from waste through physical processes) and recycled chemical fibres (obtained from end-of-life products through melting or chemical regeneration).
Obligations for companies using recycled fibres:
- Mandatory label declaration of the recycled raw materials used, with specific naming (e.g. “mechanically recycled fibre”, “recycled polyester”, “recycled silk”, “recycled wool”)
- Prohibition for 0–3 year products: recycled chemical fibres — except recycled PET — may not be used as filling in products for children up to 36 months
- Traceability documentation for the recycled material, available for customs inspection
⚠ Mind the deadline.
Given the time required for sampling, testing and implementing any corrective actions, the compliance process must be launched by April 2026 to ensure full coverage before 1 July. Brands exporting padded products to China are strongly advised to initiate a gap analysis immediately.
GB 18383-2025 represents a substantial update to the 2007 edition, not merely a formal revision. The introduction of mandatory microbiological tests, residual chlorine requirements and a framework for recycled fibres demands a concrete adjustment of testing and labelling processes for all brands selling padded products in China.