New York State Enacts Law on the Labeling of Faux
and Real Fur
August 2007 (07B-144)
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Summary:
The Governor of New York State has signed into law an amendment to the General Business Law, by adding section 399-aaa. The amendment requires that apparel sold in the state of New York which contains natural or imitation fur, must be labeled with the terms “Real Fur” or “Faux Fur.” This applies to garments of all values that contain any quantity of real or imitation fur.
The amendment makes it unlawful for any person or corporation to knowingly import, sell, or manufacture articles of clothing which include, or have any attachment in any quantity or of any value, fur that is not labeled as being faux (artificial) or real fur.
The Governor signed the bill on August 15, 2007 and it becomes effective 90 days from signing. |
Behind the Law: Purpose of the Amendment
The intent of the law is to ensure that consumers can make informed decisions when buying apparel that contains either real or faux fur no matter what their value.
The Federal Fur Products Labeling Act (15 U.S.C. 69) and the rules of that Act specifies that clothing which contains fur products under $150.00 (USD) in value are not required to meet the Act’s labeling requirements. Therefore, the consumer is not always informed as to whether the “fur” in an apparel item is real or imitation. This particularly came into the public eye when jackets made of raccoon dog fur were mislabeled as faux fur.
This law ensures that consumers know the true nature of clothing they purchase, by requiring that all articles be labeled as “faux fur” or “real fur.”
Defining Faux Fur and Real Fur
Definitions under the New York State law are as follows:
“Faux Fur” means “artificially manufactured fur which is made to resemble real fur but which is not derived from animals.”
“Real Fur” means an “animal skin or part thereof with hair, fleece, or fur fibers attached thereto, either in its raw or processed state.”
Complying with the Law: How to Label
For apparel sold in New York State, the law requires that “Faux Fur” or “Real Fur” be added to one of the following:
Permanent label attached to clothing: May be added to the permanent fur label which is attached to the garment.
OR
Temporary tag: May be added to a temporary tag used by the merchant to identify the merchandise.
OR
Sticker: A sticker affixed in a conspicuous place.
For more information, visit: http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?bn=A08966&sh=t
Fur Products Labeling Act
In addition to the New York State law, apparel which contains real fur must also meet the labeling requirements of the Federal Fur Products Labeling Act (15 U.S.C. 69) and the Rules and Regulations Under the Fur Products Identification Act (16 CFR 301).
Bureau Veritas: An Industry Leader in Labeling Requirements
With experienced regulatory and technical professionals in the area of textile products, we are committed to assisting our clients in meeting the labeling requirements for the products and regions in which they distribute. We can provide labeling review for both the New York State law and the Fur Products Labeling Act. Simply contact your program manager or Jennifer Hargrave directly for more details.
Comprehensive Textile and Softlines Services Available
With over 40 years of softlines experience, we meet the needs of manufacturers and retailers around the world for:
 Fabric and garment testing;
Care labeling determination and verification;
Flammability testing;
Fiber identification; and more.
Please contact us directly for details.
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UNDER REVIEW:
16 CFR PART 1610, STANDARD FOR THE FLAMMABILITY OF CLOTHING TEXTILES
16 CFR Part 1610, which was first published in 1953 and revised in 1954, is under review by the CPSC for updating and modernization. As part of its review process, the CPSC called for comments through the Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPR).
Bureau Veritas has participated in this process by providing comments and recently took part in a an open forum meeting with the CPSC and others involved in the textile industry to discuss responses received from the NPR and ANPR. The CPSC is now reviewing comments received from this meeting and final changes will be made. The final revision to the current standard is expected to be endorsed soon. We will keep you informed as additional information becomes available. |
CONTACT INFORMATION
Please contact your program manager or Jennifer Hargrave, Senior Regulatory Consulting Specialist, Softlines, at 1-973-901-0831 or jennifer.hargrave@us.bureauveritas.com
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Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services, Inc. (“BVCPS”) provides the information in this client bulletin as a resource of general information. It does not replace any applicable legal or regulatory requirements and is provided “as is.” BVCPS will not be liable for any indirect, special, punitive, consequential or other damages (including without limitation lost profits) of any kind in connection with this client bulletin. BVCPS DISCLAIMS ALL REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, IN CONNECTION WITH THIS CLIENT BULLETIN.
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