Germany May Implement A Regulation That Does Not Contain Six Valent Chromium In Leather Products.

Chen Zhanguang told reporters that the German Federal Ministry of food, agriculture and consumer protection issued the No. eleventh TBT bulletin, the eighteenth revision of the act of commodity law of the country, limiting the production of leather by tanning processing by chrome tanning, and stipulate leather products that are in contact with the human body, including leather bags, knapsacks, textiles, watchbands, shoes and toys. Six valent chromium should not be detected in its final products.

The notification is to be approved and entered into force this year.

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Chen Zhanguang disclosed that Germany had to make such a law, mainly because Germany had no leather industry, and Germany's chemical technology often took the lead in the world.

Most leather enterprises will use chrome tanning to make leather products have good strength, feel and heat stability.

After the German law was introduced, members of the European Union, including Italy, also raised objections, calling it right.

Zhang Chunchu, a product inspector of Wenzhou gigantic footwear industry, told reporters that the EU's customers have strict requirements on the content of six valent chromium in their products, and their value must be less than 3ppm (mg/kg).

Zhang Chunchu disclosed that the six valence chromium content is less than 3ppm, which is very difficult for leather manufacturing enterprises. If it does not contain six valent chromium at all, leather products will be difficult to achieve. Only the non leather products will not contain six valent chromium.

Chen Zhanguang said that for leather manufacturing enterprises, 85% of tanning enterprises are trivalent chromium, and its harm is inferior to six valent chromium. In the current use of products, it belongs to the environmental protection series. "But what we need to pay attention to is to prevent trivalent chromium from oxidizing into six valent chromium."

This requires adjustment of tanning technology, including the use of vegetable tanning agents for retanning, adding antioxidants in the Fatliquoring Process, and avoiding drying under direct sunlight.

In addition, the chromium powder used in leather tanning is also tested to test whether the content of six valence chromium and six valent chromium is over standard.

When the final product is out of factory, the inspectors also need to check strictly and minimize the losses caused by environmental barrier and other technical barriers.

Chen Zhanguang said, "in order to reduce the unnecessary losses caused by this trade friction, we need to strengthen our management and attach importance to the problem of six valent chromium in leather."