On July 20th, the EU officially implemented the new furniture safety directive and more stringent access standards. It was called “the most stringent in the history of domestic furniture exportâ€, and Yiwu furniture enterprises with considerable export share were the first to bear the brunt.
It is understood that the German furniture brand PAIDI further rushed to the Chinese market and settled in Zhejiang Hangzhou to grab the high-end children's furniture market in Zhejiang. For Zhejiang children's products manufacturers that are inside and outside, they will face more brutal competition.
Some insiders said that it is undoubted that enterprises will increase production costs. The competition and tests will become more and more cruel, and enterprises must adapt to the "law of the jungle."
From July 20th, the EU implemented the "New Furniture Safety Directive" in its member states. This is known as the "most demanding" furniture safety directive in the history of the European Union. It imposes very strict regulations on furniture in many aspects such as physics, chemistry, mechanics, electrical and health. The latest addition is the increase in heavy metal testing for export furniture from 8 to 19.
Lou Qijin, vice president of Yiwu Furniture Industry Association, said that this standard has already been introduced, but there is a two-year transition period, and now the transition period is over. The requirements for heavy metal content changed from the previous migration to bioavailability, and the materials were divided into three categories, one by one, which was much stricter than the old ones. Some elements, such as hexavalent chromium, even reach the PPb level, which is one-billionth of a requirement, which is comparable to food requirements.
In addition, it has also increased the 15-year prosecution period, that is, the furniture that children buy when they are 3 years old. When they are 18 years old, their bodies are uncomfortable. If they think that it is caused by furniture, furniture companies must prove that they are not responsible, otherwise they must bear responsibility. "This is very difficult. It is not easy for companies to retain evidence for 15 years," Lou Qijin said.
The foreign market is wearing a "tight hoop", and the domestic market has encountered "wolf is coming". Zhejiang children's products enterprises are facing great challenges. The heads of some furniture manufacturers in Yiwu told reporters that the cost is the first to bear the brunt, and the advantage of the second sale price is not obvious, which may lead to a decline in sales.
Due to the implementation of the EU's "New Furniture Safety Directive", there is currently no direct data on the impact of Yiwu furniture enterprises. The staff of the Yiwu Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau said that the response from the EU market to the suppliers will take some time, and there is no movement at present.
For foreign brands to grab the domestic market, Lou Qijin believes that the impact is not as big as imagined. China's furniture exports must comply with EU standards, foreign brands must comply with Chinese standards, and foreign brands of children's products are mostly Chinese OEM, from materials to crafts, both sides are similar.
Furniture owners believe that high-end foreign brands may be superior to domestic children's products because of their popularity, which is a reality that must be faced up. More "pessimistic" business owners believe that some furniture manufacturers in Yiwu still rely on OEM processing, and their awareness of independent upgrading is not strong. They are powerless to the new EU standards and may be blocked from the EU.
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