EU Formaldehyde Limit Applies to Leather Jacket Articles From August 6, 2026

Since August 6, 2026, a leather jacket placed on the European Union market must not release more than 0.080 mg/m3 of formaldehyde under the chamber test conditions set out in Appendix 14 of Annex XVII to the REACH Regulation.

The limit was added by Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/1464 as entry 77, and it applies to articles other than furniture and wood-based products. For a buyer building a leather jacket range for the 2026 and 2027 seasons, the change lands in the test file rather than in the sample room.

What Entry 77 Requires

Entry 77 sets two release limits, both measured in a test chamber rather than on the material. Furniture and wood-based articles must stay at or below 0.062 mg/m3. Every other article, leather garments included, must stay at or below 0.080 mg/m3.

The same entry adds a second date. From August 6, 2027, road vehicles may not be placed on the market if the formaldehyde concentration inside the cabin exceeds 0.062 mg/m3, which concerns suppliers who develop automotive leather alongside apparel programmes.

The restriction lists its own exemptions: articles where formaldehyde is only naturally present in the material, articles exclusively for outdoor use, articles exclusively for industrial or professional use, food-contact articles, second-hand articles and articles already covered by entry 72.

Why Leather Sits Outside the Textile Clothing Rule

Textile clothing meets a different provision. Entry 72 of the same annex, introduced by Commission Regulation (EU) 2018/1513, has capped formaldehyde at 75 mg/kg in clothing placed on the market for consumers since November 1, 2023, measured in homogeneous material.

Leather garments are carved out of that entry. Paragraph 3(a) of entry 72 exempts clothing, related accessories or footwear, and their parts, that are made exclusively of natural leather, fur or hide. The Commission's recital gives the reason: different chemical substances and processes are used in their production.

The practical result is that a jacket made exclusively of natural leather is judged against the release limit in entry 77, not the 75 mg/kg content limit in entry 72. Where a jacket mixes leather with textile components, the textile parts stay inside entry 72.

How the Limit Is Tested and Documented

Appendix 14 fixes the test conditions. The chamber runs at 23 degrees Celsius plus or minus 0.5, 45 percent relative humidity plus or minus 3, a loading factor of 1 square meter of sample per cubic meter of chamber volume, and one air change per hour.

The concentration is sampled at least twice a day with a minimum of three hours between samplings, until a steady state is reached, and the test does not run beyond 28 days. Where the reference conditions do not suit a particular article, a laboratory may use another method if the correlation with the reference conditions is scientifically valid.

For a purchase file, that means asking the tannery or the finished-goods factory for the chamber report, the laboratory's accreditation scope and the test date. Because the limit is a measured value, a declaration alone rarely satisfies a buyer's due diligence file.

What the Commission's August 2026 Roadmap Signals Next

Formaldehyde is not the only open chemical file. Buyers who followed the PFHxA restriction that applies from October 10, 2026 will recognise the pattern. On August 31, 2026, the Commission published the 2026 update of its REACH restrictions roadmap, the rolling list of restriction work prepared with the competent authorities for REACH and CLP.

That list places a restriction on skin sensitising, irritative and corrosive substances in textile, leather, hide and fur articles at the decision-making stage, with the first draft of the measure under preparation. No adoption date has been set.

Two further files touch leather. A restriction on bisphenols with endocrine-disrupting properties for the environment targets uses with significant emission potential, and the roadmap names leather tanning and leather articles; the supporting dossier is expected on March 12, 2027.

The universal PFAS restriction remains in the opinion-making phase, with opinions from the Agency's committees expected in 2026. The Commission's overview of that file records that textiles, upholstery, leather, apparel and carpets account for 11 percent of PFAS uses.

Because the limit is measured on the finished garment, the evidence travels with the order. Danke, the leather jacket programme of Dalian Danke Fashion Co., Ltd, ships from Dalian and can confirm the finishing chemistry used on a style together with the formaldehyde test documentation that accompanies it.

Buyers can review the custom leather jackets range before the next development round, and follow the finishing and cutting steps that decide the result. Send the specification in question to the export team, or reach us on WhatsApp at +86 13234076432. The range is at www.dankeleatherjacket.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which formaldehyde limit applies to a leather jacket sold in the EU?

Entry 77 of Annex XVII applies. Since August 6, 2026, articles other than furniture and wood-based articles must not release more than 0.080 mg/m3 of formaldehyde under the Appendix 14 chamber conditions.

Does the 75 mg/kg formaldehyde limit apply to leather?

That figure belongs to entry 72, which covers clothing placed on the market for consumers but exempts garments made exclusively of natural leather, fur or hide. A jacket with textile components keeps those textile parts inside entry 72.

What is the next leather-specific REACH date?

The roadmap published on August 31, 2026 lists a restriction on skin sensitising, irritative and corrosive substances in textile, leather, hide and fur articles at the decision-making stage, with the first draft under preparation. A bisphenols dossier covering leather tanning and leather articles is expected on March 12, 2027.