Significant revisions made to the standards for prohibited/restricted substances in synthetic leather, with public comments solicited

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Major revisions have been made to the standards regarding prohibited/restricted substances in synthetic leather, and public comments are being sought. Recently, the **Standardization Administration of the People’s Republic of China** (**Standardization Bureau**) issued a notice seeking public opinions on 11 proposed mandatory **standard projects**. Among them, the chemical industry is facing significant regulatory updates, including plans to revise the Standards for Limits of Prohibited and Restricted Substances in Artificial Leathers. The revised mandatory **standards will tighten the limits, expand the scope of chemical regulation (including PFAS and VOCs), and standardize compliance requirements for related industries. This proposal is a revision to GB 21550-2008 \"Limits of hazardous substances in polyvinyl chloride artificial leather\". Given the rapid development of the artificial leather industry, with China accounting for about 70% of the global supply, this revision is crucial. This standard has been expanded from regulating only “polyvinyl chloride (PVC) artificial leather” to covering all “artificial leathers and synthetic leathers”. This revision introduces a comprehensive list of prohibited and restricted substances along with their corresponding testing methods. The newly added substances include: ● Perfluoro- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) ● Dimethylformamide (DMFa) ● Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) ● Short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) ● Phthalates and azodicarbonamides ● Asbestos, hydrolyzed/free formaldehyde ● Polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) ● Extractable heavy metals, soluble hexavalent chromium, and soluble mercury. The limits and testing methods for “other volatile substances” have been removed to focus efforts on controlling specific chemicals. This expansion of the scope has also had a significant impact on manufacturers outside the PVC industry. Importers and downstream industries (including those in the automotive, furniture, clothing, and textile sectors) must ensure that their raw materials comply with the new list of restricted substances, paying particular attention to emerging pollutants such as PFAS and DMFas.