East African Community proposes standardisation for garments

Quality standardisation is increasingly important in the global garment industry. Following Indonesia's example, the East African Community (EAC), comprising seven partner countries—the Republic of Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of Kenya, the Republic of Rwanda, the Republic of South Sudan, the Republic of Uganda, and the United Republic of Tanzania—is focusing on harmonised standardisation to eliminate trade barriers within the community. 

The community has established the East African Standards Committee (EASC) to develop an East African Standard for textile garments. The EASC has proposed standards for various clothing items, including shirts, T-shirts, skirts, dresses, jackets, coats, cardigans, sweaters, trousers, and shorts. 

The draft East African standard outlines requirements for test methods and labelling for garments made from any textile fibre and their blends. The committee clarified that these standards are intended for use in conjunction with other standards that contain specific requirements for garment performance, rather than on a stand-alone basis. No standard has been determined for personal protective wear. The committee has set standards in line with the ISO series for various aspects of textile garments. 

The proposed draft also lists restricted chemical substances and manufacturing defects expected in traded garments. It includes standards for pH requirements, size designation, workmanship, buttons, buttonholes, eyelets, hooks, zippers, drawstrings, labelling, and packaging. 

ALCHEMPro News Desk (KUL)