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Selling clothing, footwear and textiles in New Zealand

In New Zealand, new textiles need a care label and usually a fibre content label, and new clothing and footwear a country of origin label, under consumer information standards made under the Fair Trading Act 1986. Children's nightwear must meet a product safety standard with a white or red fire hazard label. The Commerce Commission enforces.

Updated · Each section links to the official source it comes from

Care labelling
AS/NZS 1957:1998, in English
Fibre content
AS/NZS 2622:1996, letters at least 1.5 mm high
Country of origin
New clothing and footwear, letters at least 1.5 mm high
Children's nightwear
AS/NZS 1249:2014, white or red fire hazard label
Formaldehyde
Voluntary limits of 30, 100 and 300 ppm
Who enforces
Commerce Commission, under the Fair Trading Act

Before a product goes on sale

The questions to answer, in the order they usually come up.

  1. 1Does the item need a permanent care label, or care instructions on a ticket or packaging? Read more
  2. 2Does it need a fibre content label, and does the label list fibres from highest to lowest? Read more
  3. 3Is it new clothing or footwear that needs a country of origin label? Read more
  4. 4Could a child wear it as nightwear, and which fire hazard label does it need? Read more
  5. 5Has it been tested for formaldehyde against the guideline limits? Read more
  6. 6What happens if a label is missing or wrong? Read more

The rules, by area

What each area covers, the texts that set it, and what the official pages say.

Care labelling

The consumer information standard for care instructions.

  • The Consumer Information Standards (Care Labelling) Regulations 2000 set sections of AS/NZS 1957:1998, with amendments, as the standard suppliers of new textile goods must meet.
  • They cover clothing, household fabrics, furnishings, upholstered furniture, bedding, mattresses and bed bases, and suede, skins, hides, leathers and furs, whether made in New Zealand or overseas.
  • Footwear (except hosiery), cleaning cloths, haberdashery and medical and surgical goods are among the exclusions.
  • Labels must be legible and in English, easy to find before buying and, where permanent, readable and attached through the item's useful life; where dry cleaning is specified, the dry-cleaning symbol is included.
  • Some items, such as gloves, hosiery, bibs, tea towels and tablecloths, need care instructions but not a permanent label.

How we help: Compliant Always reads your care label artwork against the standard and keeps the supplier's care testing with each product. Ask about this

Fibre content labelling

The consumer information standard for fibre content.

  • The Consumer Information Standards (Fibre Content Labelling) Regulations 2000 set sections of AS/NZS 2622:1996, with amendments, as the standard for new textile goods.
  • Most textile goods, such as clothing, socks and hosiery, fabrics and carpets, must be labelled with their fibre content.
  • Footwear, goods made from the customer's own fabric, belts, hats, household cloths, bags, shoelaces and toys are among the exclusions.
  • The label is in English, clearly readable, at least 1.5 mm high, and lists the fibres from highest to lowest amount; it is a permanent label, repeated on a removable label or packaging if it cannot be seen.
  • Some goods, such as baby bibs, hosiery and cleaning cloths, give fibre content on a removable label or packaging instead.

How we help: Compliant Always reads fibre lists and percentages on your labels against the composition in your specifications and test reports. Ask about this

Country of origin of clothing and footwear

Where new clothing and footwear was made.

  • The Consumer Information Standards (Country or Territory of Origin (Clothing and Footwear) Labelling) Regulations 1992 require most new clothing and footwear to state where it was made.
  • The label is in English, with no letter less than 1.5 mm high.
  • Clothing carries a permanent label that can be seen when examining it, repeated on a removable label or packaging if hidden by the way it is displayed.
  • Each item of footwear has its origin printed, stencilled, branded or marked on it, or on a removable label or packaging where that is not practical.
  • Misleading consumers about where a product was made, such as labelling an imported jersey 'NZ made', is a separate offence with higher fines.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the factory and origin evidence behind each style and checks it against the origin statement on the label. Ask about this

Children's nightwear

A mandatory product safety standard for fire hazard.

  • The Product Safety Standard (Children's Nightwear and Limited Daywear Having Reduced Fire Hazard) Regulations 2016 make AS/NZS 1249:2014 the standard suppliers must meet.
  • New and used children's nightwear covered by the standard needs a fire hazard information label; nightwear includes infant sleepbags, blankets and towels with sleeves or arm openings.
  • Low fire hazard and snug-fitting garments in categories 1 to 3 carry the white label; higher fire risk garments in category 4 carry the red label; orange labels from the earlier standard must no longer be used.
  • The label sits at the inside back neck or at the waist, is permanently fixed, and is repeated on packaging that hides it; garments too highly flammable to fit any category cannot be sold.
  • The rules cover manufacturers, importers, retailers and people selling second-hand nightwear at markets or online, but not people sewing for their own children or as gifts.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the AS/NZS 1249 test report and category with each garment, and checks the label colour against it. Ask about this

Formaldehyde guidance

Voluntary limits MBIE has set for formaldehyde in clothing and textiles.

  • Formaldehyde in clothing is not regulated under the Fair Trading Act, but MBIE has issued guidelines to help suppliers meet their Consumer Guarantees Act responsibilities for safe products.
  • The acceptable limits are 30 ppm for clothes for babies under 2 and for sensitive skin, 100 ppm for items in direct contact with skin, and 300 ppm for items not in direct contact.
  • Where a label recommends washing before first use, the 100 ppm limit for direct contact items applies after washing.
  • The acceptable test method is EN ISO 14184-1:2011.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps formaldehyde test results by style and lot and compares them with the guideline limit for that kind of garment. Ask about this

Enforcement

What a missing or wrong label costs under the Fair Trading Act.

  • Supplying, offering or advertising textiles without a required care, fibre content or origin label is an offence under section 28 of the Fair Trading Act.
  • The Commerce Commission may issue an infringement notice of up to $1,000, or prosecute, with fines up to $30,000 for a company and $10,000 for an individual for each breach.
  • Misleading claims about fibre content or origin carry fines up to $600,000 for a company and $200,000 for an individual.
  • Supplying nightwear that does not meet the safety standard is an offence under section 30, with the same higher fines, and may need a recall.
  • Suppliers cannot assume goods comply because a manufacturer or wholesaler offers them, and may ask what tests the goods have been through.

How we help: Compliant Always shows which styles are missing a label check or a test report before they ship. Ask about this

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
Manufacturer or brandAccurate care, fibre and origin labels, and nightwear made to the safety standard.Specifications, test reports and label artwork kept together by style.
ImporterBringing in goods that carry the labels New Zealand requires.Suppliers' test reports and origin evidence read before the goods arrive.
Retailer and online sellerSupplying correctly labelled goods, new or second-hand, in store or online.Label and test evidence ready when the Commission asks.

Questions businesses ask

What labels does clothing need in New Zealand?
A care label, a fibre content label and a country of origin label, each under its own consumer information standard. Children's nightwear also needs a fire hazard label.
Must care labels be in English?
Yes. Care labels must be legible and in English. Internationally recognised symbols may accompany the written instructions, and the dry-cleaning symbol is needed where dry cleaning is specified.
How large must fibre content and origin lettering be?
At least 1.5 mm high, in English and clearly readable.
Does footwear need a country of origin label?
Yes. Each item of new footwear has its country of origin printed, stencilled, branded or marked on it, or on a removable label or packaging where that is not practical.
Does footwear need a care or fibre content label?
No. Footwear, except hosiery, is excluded from care labelling, and footwear is excluded from fibre content labelling. It still needs a country of origin label.
What is the difference between the white and red nightwear labels?
Low fire hazard and snug-fitting garments in categories 1 to 3 carry the white label. Higher fire risk garments in category 4 carry the red label. Orange labels are no longer allowed.
Do the nightwear rules apply to second-hand clothing?
Yes. They cover used children's nightwear sold in store, online or at markets. They do not apply to people sewing nightwear for their own children or as gifts.
Is formaldehyde in clothing regulated in New Zealand?
Not under the Fair Trading Act. MBIE has set voluntary limits of 30 ppm for babies' and sensitive-skin clothing, 100 ppm for items in direct skin contact and 300 ppm for others, tested to EN ISO 14184-1:2011.
What are the penalties for missing textile labels?
An infringement notice of up to $1,000, or on prosecution fines up to $30,000 for a company and $10,000 for an individual for each breach. Misleading origin or fibre claims carry up to $600,000.
Can I rely on my supplier's labels?
No. The Commerce Commission says you cannot assume goods comply because a manufacturer or wholesaler offers them. You can ask what tests the goods have been through, or have them tested.
How does Compliant Always help with selling in New Zealand?
Our team reads the rules for the markets you sell in, including the Food Standards Code New Zealand shares with Australia. Compliant Always shows which apply to your product, keeps the documents behind each one ready, and watches the sources for changes. It shows what the requirements say and what your documents show; you decide.

Sources

Compliant Always is a product of Lettuce Labs LLC. It shows what requirements say and what your documents show. It is not legal advice, and you decide.

Tell us what you make, and we will show you the rules for it.

Name the product and the markets you sell in. We will come back to you with what applies in New Zealand and what your paperwork needs to show.

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