If the House passed bill, the “Truth in Fur Labeling Act of 2010” (HR 2480), sponsored by Representative James Moran (D-VA), is approved by the Senate, any and all apparel that has fur attached to it will have to be properly labeled as to the type of fur it contains. This bill is designed to extend the existing labeling requirements to all garments containing any amount of fur. Currently, garments that contain fur valued at $150.00 or less do not require the fur to be labeled. This loophole in the existing standards set under the “1951 Fur Products Labeling Act” allows for garments that are just lined or trimmed with real fur to be sold without being labeled as such. Thus, consumers may be misled and may purchase garments that contain real fur while believing it is faux fur. Recent tests by the Humane Society found that most of the products tested had domestic dog, wolf or raccoon dog fur and were either mislabeled or not labeled at all.
The Senate will now take up the companion bill (S. 1076), introduced by Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME).
If you have any questions, or for more information on fur labeling requirements, please contact David Olave, dolave@strtrade.com.
