China seizes 'dangerous' luxury clothes

The eastern Chinese province of Zhejiang said it had seized imported top-end clothing carrying the labels of top fashion houses including Versace and Hugo Boss after tests showed some were poor quality and others potentially dangerous.

The Zhejiang Administration for Industry and Commerce acted after less then half the items checked passed tests, with the rest failing for a variety of reasons from mislabelling to, in one instance, containing too much of a dangerous chemical.

The European Union's ambassador in Beijing, Serge Abou, said it was not immediately clear whether the clothes were originals or fakes.

"If they are made in full respect of the standards that are prevailing in our market, (then) I think it is the case that they respect the European standards, (and) there is no risk for health," he told Reuters.

China did not give quantities or values for the seized items but said the clothes were imported from countries including France, Italy, Turkey, Vietnam, India, South Korea, Egypt and Romania.

Items caught up in the tests ranged from t-shirts to skirts and jeans carrying the names of Dolce & Gabbana, Tommy Hilfiger, Zara, H&M, Hermes and Trussardi.

The Zhejiang statement said at least one pair of jeans tested had excess levels of formaldehyde in them, which it asserted could cause breathing and skin problems or even cancer.

It said other seized items had more prosaic issues, such as improper labelling about size or washing instructions.

"The Zhejiang Administration for Industry and Commerce has already seized the substandard items and will investigate sales outlets which sold them," it added.

A Hugo Boss spokesman said the company was recalling some items in China due to a "few isolated cases with a slight deviation in quality standards", but he added that none of the problems posed a safety issue.

"We would like to distance ourselves from any connection between Hugo Boss products and substances that could endanger health," the spokesman said.

Dolce & Gabbana declined to comment. Versace said all its products were manufactured entirely in Italy "in full compliance of international manufacturing codes".

"The Versace Group ... stands by its product in world standards of luxury quality and craftsmanship," a spokeswoman said.

Gruppo Trussardi said in an emailed statement it had been informed about mistakes on labels and that its team in China was taking steps to correct them.

"The Trussardi offices in China will work more and more closely with the relevant Chinese authorities in order to avoid similar situations in the future," the statement said.

Other clothes makers could not immediately be reached for comment. An H&M spokesman said he had not heard of any clothes being seized by the authorities.

China has been rocked by numerous product safety scandals over the past few years, focused on products made by local companies.

At least six children died after drinking milk contaminated with the industrial chemical melamine in 2008, and about 300,000 sought medical treatment, many with kidney stones.

While the government has announced several crackdowns, it also likes to point out that the issue is a global one not limited to China.

China's quality watchdogs frequently announce seizures of imported goods they say are not up to standard.

- Reuters