G/TBT/N/AUS/135  
17 September 2021  
(21-6941) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original:  English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6  
 
1. Notifying Member:  AUSTRALIA   
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible:  Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers , email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if di fferent from above:   
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade  
Email: tbt.enquiry@dfat.gov.au  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other :  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  Clothing 
and textiles. A complete list of products which are covered are listed in the current 
information standard, Consumer Protection N otice No. 25 of 2010.; (HS: 6201, 6202, 
6203, 6204, 6205, 6206, 6207, 6208, 6209, 6210, 6211, 6212, 6214, 6215, 6216, 6217, 
6301, 6302, 6303, 6304, 6307, 6308, 6309)  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Review of the 
informa tion standard - Care labelling for clothing and textile products  
6. Description of content:  The ACCC is proposing to make a new information standard for 
care labelling for clothing and textiles to allow suppliers the option to provide this 
information thr ough internationally recognised symbols or written words.  
The ACCC has consulted on this proposal nationally and stakeholders have provided 
support for it, per policy option 2 - allow international standards, of the consultation 
paper.  
The proposal would allow suppliers to comply with relevant parts of either of the following 
voluntary standards:  
• Australian/New Zealand Standard ( AS/NZS 1957:1998 Textiles - Care labelling ) 
• International Standard ( ISO 3758 -2012 Textiles - Care labelling code using 
symb ols) 
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  The information standard requires certain care information to be provided 
with clothing and textiles in Australia. This care information provides consumers, 
dryclea ners and cleaning professionals with information on how to care for clothing and 
textiles to help maximise their useful life and avoid damage such as shrinkage and running 
of colours. The information standard currently requires care instructions for washin g, 
bleaching, drying and ironing to be written in English and attached to applicable clothing 
and textiles. The ACCC is proposing to allow this care information to be provided through G/TBT/N/AUS/135  
 
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  the use of internationally recognised symbols, referenced in the interna tional standard, 
as an alternative to the existing requirements. Allowing compliance with these standards 
would reduce the regulatory burden on industry, thereby reducing technical barriers to 
trade.; Consumer information, labelling  
8. Relevant documents:   
Consultation paper – Review of the information standard - Care labelling for clothing & 
textile products   
Current information stand ard – Consumer Protection Notice No. 25 of 2010  
Product Safety Australia page – Care labelling for clothing & textiles  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  To be confirmed, subject to government a pproval. 
Anticipated late 2021 or early 2022.  
Proposed date of entry into force:  The proposed new information standard would 
provide a transitional period, usually 12 months, to provide sufficient time for suppliers 
to transition to the new requirements.  
10. Final date for comments:  60 days from notification  
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available , of other body:   
See Section 8 for relevant documents. For any enquiries contact: tbt.enquiry@dfat.gov.au