In early July 2024, the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) and the Standardization Administration of China (SAC) released three mandatory national standards:
- GB 28008—2024 Technical Specification for the Safety of Furniture Structure,
- GB 18584—2024 Limit of Harmful Substances in Furniture, and
- GB 28007—2024 Technical Specifications for the Safety of Infants’ and Children’s Furniture.
These standards outline the minimum safety requirements for furniture in terms of structure, harmful substance content, and protection for specific groups.The three standards will come into effect on July 1, 2025.
The information of the GB 18584—2024 Limit of Harmful Substances in Furniture is as below
General Information
- Standard name: GB 18584-2024 Limit of Harmful Substances in Furniture
- Type: Mandatory National Standard
- Issued by: State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) and Standardization Administration of China (SAC)
- Release date: June 25, 2024
- Effective date: July 1, 2025
- Replaces: GB 18584-2001 and GB 28481-2012
- Scope: Applies to all types of furniture(indoor, outdoor, children’s, public-use, etc.)
Key Limit Requirements
- Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in Indoor Furniture
| Substance | CAS No. | Limit (mg/m³) | Scope | Test Method |
| Formaldehyde | 50-00-0 | ≤ 0.08 | Indoor furniture | Appendix D, E |
| Benzene | 71-43-2 | ≤ 0.06 | Indoor furniture | Appendix D, E |
| Toluene | 108-88-3 | ≤ 0.15 | Indoor furniture | Appendix D, E |
| Xylenes (o, m, p) | 95-47-6, 108-38-3, 106-42-3 | ≤ 0.20 | Indoor furniture | Appendix D, E |
| Total VOC (TVOC) | — | ≤ 0.50 | Indoor furniture | Appendix D, E |
- Migratable Hazardous Elements (mainly for coatings on children’s furniture)
| Element | Limit (mg/kg) | Correction Factor (%) | Test Method |
| Antimony (Sb) | ≤ 60 | 60% | GB 6675.4-2014 |
| Arsenic (As) | ≤ 25 | 60% | GB 6675.4-2014 |
| Lead (Pb) | ≤ 90 | 30% | GB 6675.4-2014 |
| Cadmium (Cd) | ≤ 75 | 30% | GB 6675.4-2014 |
| Chromium (Cr) | ≤ 60 | 30% | GB 6675.4-2014 |
| Barium (Ba) | ≤ 1000 | 30% | GB 6675.4-2014 |
| Mercury (Hg) | ≤ 60 | 60% | GB 6675.4-2014 |
| Selenium (Se) | ≤ 500 | 60% | GB 6675.4-2014 |
Note: Applies to all accessible coatings of children’s furniture; for other furniture, applies to pigmented coatings only.
- Other Hazardous Substances
| Substance | Limit | Applicable To | Test Method |
| Phthalates (DBP, BBP, DEHP, DNOP, DINP, DIDP) | ≤ 0.1% (total) | Plastic components in children’s furniture | GB/T 40906 |
| PAHs (e.g. Benzo[a]pyrene) | ≤ 1.0 mg/kg (single); ≤ 10 mg/kg (18 PAH total) | Plastic components | GB/T 40971 |
| Decomposable aromatic amines from azo dyes | ≤ 20 mg/kg (textiles), ≤ 30 mg/kg (leather), ≤ 20 mg/kg (synthetic leather) | Surface materials | GB/T 40904 |
| Radioactive nuclides (Ra-226, Th-232, K-40) | I<sub>γ</sub> ≤ 1.0, I<sub>α</sub> ≤ 1.3 | Stone-containing furniture | GB/T 38724 |
| Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) | ≤ 0.1 mg/kg | Soft furniture used for maritime transport | GB/T 27717 |
| Polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) | ≤ 1000 mg/kg | Flame-retardant furniture | GB/T 40908 |
| Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) | ≤ 1000 mg/kg | Flame-retardant furniture | GB/T 40908 |
Key Changes from Previous Version
| Item | Previous | GB 18584-2024 |
| Scope | Indoor wood furniture only | All types of furniture |
| Formaldehyde | ≤ 1.5 mg/L | ≤ 0.08 mg/m³ |
| VOCs (benzene, toluene, xylene, TVOC) | Not specified | All newly added |
| Migratable elements | Partial (e.g. Cd, Pb) | Expanded to 8 elements |
| Phthalates | Individually specified | Now as total grouped limits |
| Radioactivity, DMF, PBDEs, azo dyes | Not included | Now covered |
Implementation Advice
The new GB 18584-2024 introduces stricter and broader requirements than previous versions. Since it is a mandatory standard, any non-compliant products must not be produced, sold, imported, or supplied after July 1, 2025.
Recommended actions:
- Review raw materials and supply chains
- Adjust chemical formulations in coatings, adhesives, plastics, textiles
- Conduct compliance testing early
