Sample results released by the country's quality supervisor on Monday indicated that 99.1 percent of the down garments made in China are up to standard.

The sample inspection, conducted recently by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of China (AQSIQ), mainly measured shell and lining fabric, filling, formaldehyde content, ph value and cleanliness.

The survey covered 50 categories of down garments from 50 manufacturers in various areas.

All major brands and "national quality-inspection-free products" passed various stringent tests, AQSIQ said. Bosideng, Eral and Yalu were the most popular brands with the highest qualities.

China is the world's top textile and garment producer and exporter. The export value of textiles and garments hit 160.7 billion U.S. dollars in the first 11 months of 2007, up 20 percent year-on-year, to account for 15 percent of the country's total exports, said the China National Textile and Apparel Council last Friday. Down garments made by Shanghai Mingrui Clothing Ltd. and Chongqing Huayu Clothing Ltd. failed inspections due to substandard shells and filling, respectively. They were asked by the AQSIQ to upgrade their quality within a given time.

(Xinhua News Agency January 8, 2008)