Law Label Check in Furniture and Bedding Inspections

The Law Label was introduced in the early 1900s to inform consumers about the filling materials hidden inside furniture and the beddings. It’s a tag that is attached to a product that provides consumers with information such as product ingredients (including filled ingredients and their percentages) and manufacturers or importers or sellers.

Where's It Applied?

There are currently two countries that have this requirement, one is the United States and the other is Canada. Both In the United States and Canada, the labeling requirements in each state/province varies. However, Uniform Law Label can be produced to satisfy the different requirements of all states/provinces.

In the USA, Law Labels are governed by different departments, such as Department of Health, Weights & Measures, Bureau of Home Furnishings, Dept. of Agriculture, and Division of Industrial Compliance, while in Canada, The Fair Business Practices Branch of Industry Canada administers the federal Textile Labelling Act regulates the labelling, sale, importation and advertising of consumer textile articles, including upholstered furniture.

URN and CA Numbers

Law Labels in most states require the display a Uniform Registry Number (URN) for the US and CA Number for Canada. The URN and the CA number identify the manufacturing facility which produced the product.  This can be any factory in the world whose products are sold in the U.S or Canada.

Example of Label Format Valid in the US:

Source: American Law Label, Inc.

Notes:

1. The content on the label must be in English, black on white, minimum size is 2 inches width x 3 inches height, minimum font is 1/8" in height or not less than 9 point type.
2. "Name and address of ...", can be expressed in the following formats:
   MADE BY....... (List the manufacturer), or MADE FOR....... (List the Importer or Distributer), or SOLD BY...... (List the Retailer)
3. The International Association of Bedding and Furniture Legal Officers (IABFLO) has updated its legal labeling requirements for bedding and furniture products sold in the United States, a joint proposal by U.S. states and it’s now in effect.

   The key points of the update are as follows:

    

   • The lines separating text content must be extended to the edge of the legal label (see picture below).

     

   • The legal label's 3-inch height requirement starts with the initials of the word "UNDER" and ends with the origin information at the bottom of the legal label.
   • The format requirements for the font height, acronym, bold printing and capital letters of several parts are put forward. For example, "ALL NEW MATERIAL" must be in capital letters and the entire portion must be printed in bold; There are no formatting requirements for certified content such as "Certification is made..." and there are no formatting requirements except for the origin fonts, which must be all in capital letters, bold prints, 1/8 inches in height, and no formatting requirements.
   • Examples illustrate how the legal label for a padded furniture product indicates the availability of flame retardants as required by California SB 1019. SB 1019 requires all padded furniture manufacturers who comply with TB117-2013 to indicate on the furniture whether they contain flame retardants. The Act entered into force on 1 January 2015.

    

4. In addition, if the goods are exported to California, for padded furniture manufactured after 1 January 2015, add the TB 117 plus SB 1019 fire proof label (Flammability Label), see the following example or annex picture (Law Label and Flammability Label are separated by thick black line):

   

   Or

   

   Note: According to market practice, such goods exported to the United States, whether sold in California or not, will usually be added to this Flammability Label to avoid legal risks.

    

5. Flammability Label is as follows:

   

Example of Label Format Valid in Canada:

Canadian Market (TSSA Form 1, as follows):

Notes:

According to the Textile Labelling Act, the fiber content of the outer covering fabric is required to be shown:

1. By the generic name of each fiber that is present in an amount of 5% or more by weight. Fibers present in amounts of less than 5% require disclosure as "other fiber(s)" or by their generic name. If the fiber content is not known, it may be declared as "100% unknown fibers".
2. As a percentage, in descending order by weight. Alternatively, a preprinted label may be used with fibers listed in alphabetical order and percentages inserted for fibers which are present.
3. On a label that is applied to the article so that it is readily accessible to the prospective customer (i.e., not flat on the underside of a large piece). The label may be permanently attached or non‑permanent, such as a hang tag or sticker.
4. The fiber content information is required to be bilingual unless the article is sold in an area where only one official language is used by consumers when making purchases.

Quality control

Importers are expected to meet responsibilities when bringing these types of products into US and Canada’s markets. Throughout their quality control schemes, the following tips can ensure your products will not be denied entrance due to discrepancy on labeling requirements:

1. Be knowledgeable about US and Canada’s labelling requirements;
2. Ensure that all shipments are labelled in accordance with their order;
3. Discuss quality control measures with your suppliers to ensure their methods provide adequate safeguards for accuracy;
4. Track fiber content quality routinely through in-house sampling or laboratory testing.

V-Trust has a solid history in helping overseas importers ensure their products will be shipped in accordance with their quality standards and in compliance with markets’ regulations.

For more information concerning quality control and regulations, please feel free to contact us at info@v-trust.com

Recommended:

Care Label Check in Garment Inspections It is not very uncommon for us in the quality control industry to come across situations which importers (mostly inexperienced) do not fully understand cross-border regulations on care labels and its importance to consumers’ satisfaction with the product they are buying.