Brussels & Jiaxing, April 15, 2026 — As spring unfolds and regulations guide the way forward, April 2026 marks a crucial juncture for the EU leather industry’s compliance transformation. The controversy over the inclusion of leather in the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) continues to intensify, with global industry players joining forces to promote regulatory optimization. Meanwhile, the new OEKO-TEX®2026 standard was officially launched and will take effect on June 1, raising the bar for hazardous substance control and process certification. The simultaneous advancement of these two major regulations not only reshapes the global leather supply chain but also brings compliance challenges and development opportunities to Chinese leather goods foreign trade enterprises, becoming a core topic throughout 2026’s foreign trade operations.
As a core consumer market and standard-setting leader for global leather products, the EU has always adhered to the orientation of green sustainability and continuously improved the regulatory system for the leather industry. The two major regulations focused on in April this year, focusing on "raw material traceability" and "product compliance", aim at the industry’s low-carbon transformation and safety control. Every adjustment is directly related to the export layout of leather, leather goods, accessories and other foreign trade categories, profoundly affecting the core competitiveness of Chinese leather goods enterprises in accessing the EU market.
EUDR Leather Inclusion Controversy Ferments, Global Industry Jointly Advocates, New Regulation Adjustment Shows Dawn
Since the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) included leather products under HS Code Chapter 41 (raw hides, tanned leather, etc.) in its control list, controversies within the industry have never ceased. From April 8 to 15, 2026, this compliance game reached a crucial turning point — led by the International Council of Tanners (ICIS), together with meat, raw hide and leather industry associations from 27 countries, a joint letter was submitted to the European Commission. Based on scientific data, it formally called for the complete removal of all cattle leather products under HS Chapter 41 from the EUDR Annex I control list, and at the same time prohibited the inclusion of sheepskin and goatskin in the control scope in the future. On April 14, the China Leather Industry Association (CLIA) officially responded to this joint letter, working with global counterparts to strive for a more reasonable compliance environment for the leather industry.
Behind this joint industry voice is an in-depth consideration of compliance logic and industrial reality. The joint letter clearly put forward three core demands: First, as a by-product of cattle breeding, raw hides account for only 1.4% of the economic value of cattle. At present, there is no scientific evidence showing a direct causal relationship between the leather industry and deforestation. Including it in EUDR control essentially confuses the industrial driving logic — the real driver of deforestation is beef consumption and pasture expansion, not leather production. Second, the strict full-chain traceability requirements of EUDR will increase the compliance costs of small and medium-sized tanneries by 15% to 30%. The excessively high threshold may force a large number of small and medium-sized leather enterprises around the world to withdraw from the EU market, undermining the stability of the global leather supply chain. Third, there is an obvious contradiction in the control logic. If beef from the same cattle can legally enter the EU market, but its by-product leather is judged as a "potential deforestation-related product", it will cause a separation between law enforcement and the market, which is not conducive to the standardized development of the industry.
It is worth noting that the European Commission has responded positively to the industry’s demands, clearly stating that it is fully evaluating the rationality of the EUDR provisions, considering simplifying the bill content and adjusting the scope of Annex I control — leather products are very likely to be excluded from the control list. At the same time, it plans to further postpone some implementation deadlines to provide sufficient compliance buffer period for small and medium-sized leather enterprises around the world. It is reported that the European Commission plans to issue the "EUDR Implementing Act" at the end of April, which will officially determine whether leather products are controlled. This result will directly determine the compliance costs and access thresholds for Chinese leather goods enterprises to export to the EU in the future.
For Chinese leather goods foreign trade practitioners, this controversy brings not only uncertainty but also clear action 字guidelines. At present, EU buyers have taken the lead in tightening compliance audits, successively requiring suppliers to provide leather origin certificates, deforestation-free declarations, LWG environmental certification and pasture traceability documents. Some customers even require EUDR Due Diligence System (DDS) materials in advance. In this context, enterprises need to layout in advance and make dual preparations: on the one hand, in accordance with the scenario where leather is still under EUDR control, improve the full-chain traceability data, and give priority to cooperating with leather suppliers with clear traceability and LWG and other environmental certifications; on the other hand, pay close attention to the official announcement of the European Commission at the end of April, timely adjust the supply chain layout and quotation strategy, and calmly respond to market changes brought by the new regulation adjustment.
OEKO-TEX®2026 New Standard Launched, Strict Control Begins, Compliance Upgrade Is Imperative
Parallel to the EUDR controversy is the official launch of the new OEKO-TEX®2026 leather standard. Released on March 30, 2026, the standard will take full effect on June 1, with a 3-month transition period. Among them, a 1-year transition period (until June 1, 2027) is given for the control of bisphenol S limit value. This upgrade focuses on hazardous substance control and process certification with unprecedented intensity, further aligning with the EU REACH regulation, and becoming a "hard threshold" for Chinese leather products to export to the EU.
The core upgrade of the new standard is first reflected in the significant tightening of hazardous substance limits. Among them, the control of bisphenols has become a top priority — the limit values of bisphenol B, bisphenol F and bisphenol S have been reduced from 1000mg/kg to 200mg/kg, a decrease of 80%. The strict limit requirements force enterprises to optimize production processes and strictly control the content of hazardous substances in raw materials. At the same time, the standard adds mandatory control of various Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) such as pentabromobenzene, Reactive Brown 51, n-Hexylamine and Dechlorane Plus, further expanding the scope of hazardous substance detection; the control of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is also more refined, clarifying that total fluorine exceeding caused by non-PFAS can apply for exceptions, but sufficient scientific proof is required, balancing compliance and industrial reality.
In addition to hazardous substance control, the certification requirements for the supply chain and production processes have also undergone significant upgrades. The new standard clearly stipulates that all wet processes in leather production, such as dyeing, washing, printing and tanning, must complete OEKO-TEX® certification to eliminate compliance risks caused by uncertified processes. Among them, enterprises applying for certification for the first time can accept some uncertified wet processes, but during certificate renewal, uncertified wet processes will not be accepted at all, which will be fully implemented from June 2027. At the same time, the traceability system is further strengthened. During certificate renewal, only upstream certification certificates from direct suppliers are accepted, and relevant certificates from secondary suppliers are no longer recognized. This forces enterprises to improve supply chain control to ensure that every production link meets compliance standards.
For Chinese leather goods foreign trade enterprises, the entry into force of the new OEKO-TEX®2026 standard means that compliance upgrade is imperative. Starting from June 1, EU customers will no longer accept the old OEKO-TEX® LEATHER STANDARD certificate. If enterprises fail to complete certification renewal and product testing in a timely manner, they are likely to face risks such as order cancellation, goods return and market ban. At present, enterprises need to take immediate action: send samples for testing of newly added and adjusted controlled hazardous substances such as bisphenol B/F/S, pentabromobenzene and PFAS as soon as possible to ensure that products meet the limit requirements; urge cooperative factories to sort out all wet processes and complete OEKO-TEX® certification as soon as possible to avoid affecting certificate renewal; connect with testing institutions in advance to ensure that the new version of the certification certificate is obtained before June 1, laying a solid compliance foundation for exporting to the EU.
New regulations iterate, compliance is the key, and opportunities lie in changes. The adjustment of the two major EU leather industry regulations is not only a comprehensive reshuffle of the global leather supply chain but also an opportunity for Chinese leather goods enterprises to achieve high-quality overseas development. Only by keeping up with policy guidelines, improving the compliance system in advance, optimizing the supply chain layout, and balancing environmental protection and quality, can we seize the initiative in the compliance track of the EU market and achieve long-term development of brands and businesses. In the future, we will continue to pay attention to the latest developments of EU new regulations, provide timely and accurate compliance guidance for industry practitioners, and help Chinese leather goods foreign trade enterprises move forward steadily in the global market.
