EU Labelling Requirements for Imported Knitwear: Fibre Composition, Care Labels & GPSR

Quick answer — what has to be on a knitwear label for the EU: two layers. First, fibre composition is legally mandatory under EU Regulation 1007/2011 — full fibre names (no abbreviations), percentages by weight, in the official language(s) of every country you sell in, plus a declaration if there are non-textile parts of animal origin (e.g. a leather patch or a real-fur trim). Second, since the GPSR applied on 13 December 2024, the product or its packaging must also carry traceability information and the EU Responsible Person's contact. Care labelling (the wash symbols) is *not* legally required by the textile regulation, but it is commercially expected and should follow the EN ISO 3758 symbol set. Country of origin is not mandatory in the EU, but if you state it, it must be true. Get the fibre content and the Responsible Person details right first — those are the two that actually cause customs and marketplace problems. The breakdown and a label checklist are below.

⚠️ Practical sourcing guidance, not legal advice — confirm the exact wording for your products and markets with your own compliance advisor. For the wider picture (GPSR, packaging EPR, certifications), see our EU market compliance guide for knitwear importers.

EU Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 governs how textile fibre content is named and labelled. The rules that catch importers out most often:

• Full fibre names, by weight, in descending order — "60% Cotton, 40% Acrylic", not "60% CO / 40% PC". Only the fibre names defined in the regulation may be used.
• No misleading terms — you can't call a blend "cashmere" if it's a wool/cashmere blend; the percentages must reflect reality within the regulation's tolerances.
• "100%", "pure" or "all" may only be used for a product made entirely of one fibre.
• Non-textile parts of animal origin must be declared with the phrase "Contains non-textile parts of animal origin" — this applies to a leather elbow patch, a horn button, or a real-fur collar.
• Language: the fibre composition must appear in the official language(s) of each Member State where the product is sold — so a sweater sold in Germany, France and Spain needs German, French and Spanish.
• The label must be durable, legible and securely attached for the life of the garment.

This is where a manufacturer earns its keep: the fibre statement has to match the actual yarn used, and the wording has to be correct per market. We confirm the composition against the yarn on the PO and print it correctly for your target countries.

A common, expensive mistake is printing one English label for "the EU". The fibre composition must be in the language of each country of sale. Practically, brands selling across the EU either (a) print a multilingual fibre panel, or (b) run market-specific labels. We can produce either — tell us the destination countries at tech-pack stage and we build the label matrix into the development.

Regulation 1007/2011 does not require care instructions. But buyers, retailers and consumers expect them, and getting them wrong drives returns. The practical standard is the EN ISO 3758 care-symbol system (washing, bleaching, drying, ironing, professional care). For knitwear specifically, the care label is also where you protect yourself against complaints — a wool or wool-blend sweater labelled for the wrong wash will felt or shrink, and the brand wears that cost. We advise the correct care symbols for the actual yarn and construction and print them alongside the fibre panel.

On top of the textile label, the GPSR requires that consumer products carry traceability information — the manufacturer (and, for imported goods, the importer or EU Authorized Representative / Responsible Person) name and contact — on the product, its packaging or accompanying documents, and visible in the online listing. For a non-EU factory, that Responsible Person has to be an EU-based entity.

This is the line item most China factories cannot support, because they have no EU Responsible Person to name. Licheng has one appointed, so the contact block can be printed onto your labels and packaging — you are not left having to appoint and pay for your own.

Unlike the US, the EU does not mandate country-of-origin marking on most textiles. You may leave it off. But if you choose to state "Made in …", it must be accurate and not misleading — origin claims are enforced. We label origin honestly to your instruction.

Because most of our buyers ship into Europe and Germany, labelling is part of development, not an afterthought. We confirm the fibre statement against the yarn, build the multilingual panel for your destination countries, advise the correct EN ISO 3758 care symbols for the construction, and print the GPSR Responsible-Person block. Woven main labels, printed care labels, heat-transfer or satin — to your spec. The verifiable compliance basis (EU Authorized Representative, packaging EPR, OEKO-TEX/GRS/GOTS/ISO) is on our Trust Center.

Send a tech pack or a reference garment and your destination markets, and we'll come back with a label plan plus the quote. Request a quote →

Is fibre composition labelling legally required in the EU? Yes. EU Regulation 1007/2011 makes fibre composition labelling mandatory — full fibre names, percentages by weight, in the official language(s) of each country of sale, with a declaration of any non-textile parts of animal origin.

Do I need care labels (wash symbols) by law in the EU? No — care labelling is not mandated by the textile regulation. But it is commercially expected and protects against returns. The standard symbol system is EN ISO 3758; use the symbols that match the actual yarn and construction.

What language does the label have to be in? The fibre composition must be in the official language(s) of each EU Member State where the product is sold. One English-only label is not sufficient for multi-country EU distribution.

What does GPSR add to the label since December 2024? GPSR requires traceability information and an EU-based Responsible Person's contact on the product, packaging or accompanying documents and in the online listing. Non-EU manufacturers must appoint an EU Responsible Person to provide that contact.

Do EU labels need country of origin? Not for most textiles — origin marking is optional in the EU (unlike the US). If you do state an origin, it must be accurate.

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Planning an EU launch and want the labels right the first time? Send your tech pack and destination markets and we'll reply within one business day with a label plan, MOQ + lead time, and a sample proposal.

→ Request a free quote · EU market compliance guide · info@lcgarment.cn

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