REGAFFAIRS AI
ANSWERS · 4 OCT 2026

What must a fibre content label on clothing show in the US (Textile Fiber Products Identification Act, 16 CFR 303), the EU (Regulation 1007/2011) and Canada (Textile Labelling Act)? Compare fibre names, percentages, tolerances, dealer identity numbers (RN, CA number) and language rules.

All three require fibre names and percentages by weight, but they differ on the details. The US allows a ±3 percentage-point tolerance and requires English. The EU also allows 3%, uses only its own Annex I fibre names, and requires the language of each Member State where the product is sold. Canada allows 5% and requires the fibre content in both English and French. Only the US (RN) and Canada (CA number) let a business put a registered number on the label instead of its name. In the parts of Regulation 1007/2011 I reviewed, the EU has no equivalent number.

Approach: I read the current eCFR text of 16 CFR Part 303, the Canadian Textile Labelling Act and Textile Labelling and Advertising Regulations, and Annex I of Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011. The EU's operative articles (Articles 9, 16 and 20) and some Canadian details (section 31, CA-number procedure) are not in the datasets I can search, so those come from search snippets of EUR-Lex and Competition Bureau pages rather than the full text.

What the label must show

US (16 CFR 303)EU (Reg. 1007/2011)Canada (TLA + Regulations)
Core contentGeneric fibre names and percentages by weight, plus the company name or RN, plus country of origin [1][2][3]Name and percentage by weight of every constituent fibre, in descending order (Art. 9, snippet)Fibre content, the dealer's name and postal address (or CA number), and country of origin where the label says the article or fabric is imported [4]
Placement and durabilityMust last until the product reaches the consumer [5]. Garments with a neck carry country of origin at the inside centre of the neck; fibre content and RN can go on the same label or another conspicuous one [6]Easily legible, visible, clear, in uniform print (Art. 16, snippet)Must stay on until sale; Schedule I articles need a label that stays legible through repeated cleaning [7]
Type sizeAll fibre-content information in type of equal size and conspicuousness [8]Uniform print (snippet)Equal size and prominence, kept apart from graphics [9]

Fibre names

  • US: You must use the generic names in §303.7 or in ISO 2076:2013, which is incorporated by reference [10].
    • Names peculiar to the US include rayon (with lyocell as an option) [11], spandex [12], olefin and lastol [13], and triexta [14].
    • "Wool" includes Angora and Cashmere goat hair and can include camel, alpaca, llama and vicuna [15].
  • EU: Only the 50 names in Annex I may be used (Art. 16, snippet). Compared with the other two:
    • Viscose, cupro and modal are separate names [16][17][18].
    • Spandex is "elastane" [19], and nylon is "polyamide or nylon" [20].
    • Other EU-specific names include elastolefin, elastomultiester and polylactide [21][22][23].
    • Speciality hairs such as cashmere, mohair, alpaca and yak are listed by name, with or without "wool" or "hair" [24].
    • Abbreviations are not allowed except where an international standard defines them and they are explained (snippet).
  • Canada: Section 26 of the Regulations sets the generic names [25]. It sits between the US and EU approaches:
    • Rayon can be called cupro, viscose, modal or lyocell, depending on the process.
    • "Polyamide" can be used instead of nylon.
    • Spandex and elastane are both permitted.
    • Polyolefin, polyethylene, polypropylene and lastol are permitted.
    • Down and feather have defined meanings.
    • Reclaimed fibre must be labelled "reclaimed", "reprocessed" or "reused" [26].
    • A registered trademark may be shown next to the generic name, but in type no larger [27].

Percentages, minor fibres and tolerances

USEUCanada
OrderOrder of predominance by weight, with "other fiber(s)" last [1]Descending order by weight (snippet)Order of predominance by mass, for fibres at 5% or more (s. 31, snippet). Exception: a pre-printed alphabetical list on Schedule III items [28]
Minor fibresBelow 5% must be shown as "other fiber(s)", unless the fibre has a clearly functional role [29]"Other fibres" with its total percentage is optional for one fibre up to 5%, or several up to 15% together, where they can't easily be stated at manufacture (snippet)Below 5% can be shown together as "other fibres" with the combined percentage (snippet)
100% claimsThe tolerance does not apply when the product is said to be wholly one fibre [30]"100%", "pure" and "all" only for products made exclusively of the same fibre (snippet)"All" or "pure" may replace 100%, including where ornamentation, elastic or reinforcement yarn is under 5% [31]
Tolerance3% of total fibre weight (40% labelled means 37 to 43% actual) [32]3% of the total fibre weight on the label; also applies to "other fibres" (Art. 20, snippet)5%. Does not apply where a single fibre is the whole content [33]

Dealer identity

  • US, RN:
    • Instead of an RN, you can use the name you trade under, or a word trademark registered with the US Patent Office and used as a house mark [34].
    • The FTC issues RNs to qualified US residents through rn.ftc.gov [35].
    • An RN can be used only by the business it was issued to and cannot be transferred [36].
    • It can be cancelled if the FTC is not told promptly of changes to name or address [37].
    • The same number also works under the Wool and Fur Acts [38].
  • Canada, CA number:
    • The label must otherwise show the dealer's name and postal address. A dealer resident in Canada (manufacturer, processor, finisher, retail seller, importer, or owner-distributor) can apply for a CA number to use instead [39].
    • The number is valid only while the dealer's details on file are up to date.
    • Unlike the RN, it can be transferred to a later dealer who meets the eligibility conditions [39].
    • According to Competition Bureau pages (search snippet), the format is "CA" plus five digits and the fee is $100.
  • EU: I found no registered-number or dealer-identity requirement in the Regulation 1007/2011 provisions I reviewed.

Language

  • US: All required information must be in English. Other languages are allowed only if English also appears [40].
  • EU: The official language(s) of the Member State where the product is made available to consumers, unless that Member State provides otherwise (Art. 16, snippet). A label for several markets therefore needs every relevant language.
  • Canada:
    • Fibre content must be in both English and French [4].
    • The one exception is sale in an area where only one official language is used continuously for consumer purchases.
    • On Schedule III items, English and French may go on two separate labels [41].
    • Dealer identity and country of origin do not need to be bilingual (Competition Bureau, search snippet).

In practice: one label that works in all three markets needs:

  • percentages within the 3% tolerance (the strictest);
  • a fibre name valid in every jurisdiction, e.g. "elastane" is accepted in the EU and Canada, but I found no confirmation it is accepted in the US;
  • an RN or US name, plus a CA number or Canadian name and address;
  • English, French and the official language of each EU Member State where it is sold.

Sources:

SOURCES · 41

  1. [1]§ 303.16(a)(1) · p.1eCFR
  2. [2]§ 303.16(a)(2) · p.1eCFR
  3. [3]§ 303.16(a)(3) · p.1eCFR
  4. [4]11 · p.1Canada
  5. [5]§ 303.15(a) · p.1eCFR
  6. [6]§ 303.15(b) · p.1eCFR
  7. [7]15 · p.1Canada
  8. [8]§ 303.16(b) · p.1eCFR
  9. [9]13 · p.1Canada
  10. [10]§ 303.7 · p.1eCFR
  11. [11]§ 303.7(d) · p.1eCFR
  12. [12]§ 303.7(k) · p.1eCFR
  13. [13]§ 303.7(m) · p.1eCFR
  14. [14]§ 303.7(c)(2) · p.1eCFR
  15. [15]§ 303.1(s) · p.1eCFR
  16. [16]viscose · p.1EU
  17. [17]cupro · p.1EU
  18. [18]modal · p.1EU
  19. [19]elastane · p.1EU
  20. [20]polyamide or nylon · p.1EU
  21. [21]elastolefin · p.1EU
  22. [22]elastomultiester · p.1EU
  23. [23]polylactide · p.1EU
  24. [24]alpaca, llama, camel, cashmere, mohair, angora, vicuna, yak, guanaco, cashgora, beaver, otter, followed or not by the word ‘wool’ or ‘hair’ · p.1EU
  25. [25]26 · p.1Canada
  26. [26]33 · p.1Canada
  27. [27]40 · p.1Canada
  28. [28]31.1 · p.1Canada
  29. [29]§ 303.3(a) · p.1eCFR
  30. [30]§ 303.43(c) · p.1eCFR
  31. [31]29 · p.1Canada
  32. [32]§ 303.43(a) · p.1eCFR
  33. [33]30 · p.1Canada
  34. [34]§ 303.19(a) · p.1eCFR
  35. [35]§ 303.20(a) · p.1eCFR
  36. [36]§ 303.20(b)(1) · p.1eCFR
  37. [37]§ 303.20(b)(3) · p.1eCFR
  38. [38]§ 303.20(c) · p.1eCFR
  39. [39]12 · p.1Canada
  40. [40]§ 303.4 · p.1eCFR
  41. [41]14 · p.1Canada
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