TU-002
Textiles & Apparel
European Union
EU restricts PFHxA in clothing, footwear and consumer textiles
From 10 October 2026, clothing, accessories and footwear for the general public sold in the EU must stay below new PFHxA limits. Other consumer textiles and leather follow from 10 October 2027.
What changed
Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/2462 adds entry 79 to Annex XVII of REACH. It restricts PFHxA (undecafluorohexanoic acid), its salts and PFHxA-related substances.
The limits are 25 ppb for the sum of PFHxA and its salts, and 1 000 ppb for the sum of PFHxA-related substances. Both are measured in homogeneous material.
From 10 October 2026 the limits apply to textiles, leather, furs and hides in clothing and related accessories for the general public, and to footwear for the general public. They also apply to paper and board food contact materials, mixtures for the general public and cosmetics.
From 10 October 2027 the limits extend to other textiles, leather, furs and hides for the general public.
Who it affects
Brands, importers, manufacturers and exporters of consumer clothing, accessories, footwear, home textiles and leather goods for the EU market.
Exempt: some category III personal protective equipment under Regulation (EU) 2016/425, medical devices under Regulations (EU) 2017/745 and 2017/746, and construction textiles.
Articles placed on the EU market before the relevant start date are not covered.
Key dates
10 October 2026: clothing, related accessories and footwear for the general public, plus food contact paper and board, consumer mixtures and cosmetics.
10 October 2027: other textiles, leather, furs and hides for the general public.
What to test
Test water, oil and stain repellent finishes, coated fabrics, leather and footwear parts for PFHxA and related substances against the 25 ppb and 1 000 ppb limits.
Ask suppliers which repellent chemistry they use, and keep a test report on file for each material.
Sources
Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/2462 of 19 September 2024 amending Annex XVII to REACH, Official Journal of the European Union, eur-lex.europa.eu (read 9 October 2026).