OEKO-TEX and GOTS: Understanding Textile Certificates in Imports

Customers often ask us whether a manufacturer is “OEKO-TEX certified”. On its own, that says little. There are several OEKO-TEX standards with different purposes. GOTS tests something entirely different. And no certificate replaces the legal requirements for a textile product. This article separates the two most common certificates from each other and from the legal situation. It is an overview, not advice on an individual case.

OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100: Harmful substances in the finished article

STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX is a product-related test for harmful substances. Every component of an article, from the outer fabric to the sewing thread, buttons and print, is tested against a catalogue of criteria covering more than 1,000 regulated and not yet regulated substances. Some of the limit values are stricter than current legislation.

The limit values are graded into four product classes according to skin contact. Class I applies to articles for babies and toddlers up to three years and has the strictest values, Class II to textiles worn close to the skin such as underwear and shirts, Class III to outerwear with little skin contact, and Class IV to furnishing materials. A certificate always states the class it applies to. It is valid for twelve months and must be renewed afterwards.

What STANDARD 100 does not tell you: nothing about the organic content of the fibres and nothing about working conditions in the factory. Durability and fit are not part of the test either. Other OEKO-TEX modules exist for these, such as STeP for production facilities, or entirely different tests.

GOTS: Organic fibres plus environmental and social criteria

The Global Organic Textile Standard, administered by Global Standard gGmbH, starts with the fibres and runs through the entire processing chain. For the label grade “made with organic materials”, at least 70 per cent of the fibres must come from certified organic farming; for “organic”, at least 95 per cent. The remainder is subject to fixed rules, for example for recycled synthetics.

Besides the fibres, GOTS includes requirements on chemical use, wastewater and working conditions along the chain. For a finished garment to carry the GOTS label, all processing stages must be certified, not just the sewing. For purely synthetic articles the standard is of little relevance, because there is no organic natural fibre involved.

What no certificate replaces

OEKO-TEX and GOTS are voluntary. The legal obligations apply regardless. The fibre composition must be correctly named under Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 and visible to consumers. General product safety is governed by Regulation (EU) 2023/988. Chemical limit values derive from REACH. A certificate for harmful substances can support these assessments but not replace them, and a GOTS certificate says nothing about whether the care label is correct.

Requesting and checking certificates properly

A reliable statement consists of the standard, certificate number, issuing institute, validity date and scope. The scope is decisive: a certificate may apply to a particular fabric from a supplier but not to the finished article in your order. OEKO-TEX and GOTS certificates can be looked up in the public databases of the respective organisation. For GOTS, the transaction certificate for the specific shipment is also required.

The blanket statement “our factory is certified” is not sufficient. Check that the number exists, is valid and covers the article you are buying.

From September 2026: stricter rules for advertising claims

Directive (EU) 2024/825 on empowering consumers for the green transition applies in the Member States from 27 September 2026. Generic environmental claims such as “sustainable” or “eco-friendly” without recognised proof become unlawful, and sustainability labels may only be used if an independent body verifies compliance. A valid, correctly assigned certificate therefore becomes more important, and an unsubstantiated “green” product description becomes riskier.

What this means for importers

If a certificate matters for your product, it belongs in the specification early on: which standard, which product class or label grade, for which material. At DS Trading, we request certificates with number and scope, check them against the public database and match them to the approved tech pack and sample. The quality control then checks whether the agreed label is present and legible. Whether the declared composition is actually correct is, if in doubt, settled by laboratory analysis. For a specific product, send us the article, target group and desired standard via the contact page.