What seemed to be a lucrative as well as a burgeoning market in the European Union (EU) for textile and apparel manufacturers will not be the same again. This is because of the EU's imposition of tougher laws on chemicals and their safe use, many of which are used in apparel printing and design.

Industry experts believe that the regulation, called Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemical Substances (REACH), would deeply affect the business of small and mid-sized textile and apparel companies in India. Import/export ties between the EU and India will also be significantly affected, once the law comes into full force. 

On December 1, 2011, it will be mandatory for apparel manufacturers, as well as exporters, to notify the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) if their products contain a substance on the Candidate List of hazardous chemicals. 

Matter of concern for SME exporters

Dye and pigment manufacturers will have enough reason to worry, as their products, which are considered to be potentially harmful, will come under the scanner. In this context, Viral Trivedi, manager at Dyes Sales Corp. in Mumbai, says, “REACH regulation will create considerable confusion among the small and mid-sized dye and pigment exporters in the country, since most of these manufacturers are less aware of such regulations.”

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