India and Bangladesh Lose Textile Exchange Accreditation Following Summer Suspension
The International Organic Accreditation Service (IOAS) has officially revoked its accreditation for all Textile Exchange standards in India and Bangladesh, effective from January 3. This decision comes five months after the initial suspension of accreditation for both countries starting on August 1.
The withdrawal is attributed to the failure of these nations to adhere to the rigorous auditing and certification standards set during the annual assessment. While the status change specifically impacts India and Bangladesh, other countries accredited by the Control Union Certifications (CCPB) remain unaffected.
Transaction certificates issued before the status change are considered valid unless there is a notification from CCPB or Textile Exchange indicating a change. However, CCPB is now barred from issuing transaction certificates for India and Bangladesh.
The affected stakeholders are urged to contact relevant authorities in their region to arrange new certification or explore potential transfer audits. The new certifying body can issue transaction certificates for shipments dated from the organization’s certification by the former body, ensuring compliance with Textile Exchange conditions.
Textile Exchange expresses regret for any potential hardships resulting from the withdrawal of accreditation but emphasizes the move’s importance in upholding certification process integrity. This development adds complexity to the global administrative landscape, especially considering the European Union’s impending implementation of stricter textile industry standards to enhance sustainability and circularity.
These standards involve traceability, durability, and repairability of products, the prohibition of destroying unsold or returned textiles, increased recycled content requirements, and the introduction of digital passports for comprehensive product origin documentation.
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