Colombia – Amendment to Labeling of Garments and Textile Products

Vol. 863 | 21 Oct 2015

On 18 Sept 2015, the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism published Resolution No. 3023 to amend Article 5.2 of Resolution No. 1950, which was published 17 July 2009, on labeling of garments. This resolution will enter into force 18 Dec 2015. The major amendments are highlighted as follows:

• Eliminate the labeling requirement to provide the superintendence of Industry and Commerce (SIC) on the label, requiring that the manufacturer’s or importer’s tax identification number (NIT) shall be provided instead.
• Clarify that the country of origin, the name of the manufacturer and/or importer, composition of the products and care instructions will be required on a permanent label. Any other information such as size of the product shall be included on a non-permanent label.
• Clarify that sectional disclosure is required if the product’s components are made of different fiber content.

The labeling requirements for garments and textile products are summarized as below following the amendments:

 

General Requirements:

• Label and label lettering shall be durable.
• The information shall be indicated on the labels with clear characters, visible and easy to read for the consumer.
• When the products are sold in pairs with the same fiber content and design, such as socks or gloves, only one item of the pair needs to be labeled.
• If the products consists of two or more pieces or parts, each piece or part need to be labeled.
• For products where a label would harm the appearance due to the nature of the product and marketed in closed packaging that does not allow consumers to see the content, a sticker containing the required information must be attached on the packaging. Examples are pantyhose, socks, tights, wristband, ties, reversible disposable (two sided) garments.
• The information shall be in Spanish, notwithstanding that the information can also presented additionally in another language.
• The information presented on the label shall be truthful and not misleading or deceptive to the consumer.

 

The Label Shall Contain the Following Minimum Information:

• Country of origin.
• Name of the manufacturer and/or importer, including NIT (importer’s tax identification number).
• Care instructions.
• The composition of product (if a product has separate sections with different fiber compositions, the content of each section should be identified separately on the label).
• Size and dimension, if applicable.
• If the product has lining, the content of the lining shall be disclosed as a sectional disclosure.
• When the product is imperfect, it shall bear a label, or other information to advise the consumer.

Remarks: The country of origin, the name of the manufacturer and/or importer, composition of the product and care instructions will be required on a permanent label. Any other information such as size of the product shall be included on a non-permanent label.

 

For questions, please contact:

Kenny Chan
Email : kenny.chan@intertek.com  

Dicti Wong
Email : dicti.wong@intertek.com