Abstract:
China’s mandatory national standard, Limit of Formaldehyde Emission of Wood-Based Panels and Finishing Products for Indoor Decorating and Refurbishing Materials, will officially come into effect on June 1, 2026. For the first time, the new standard incorporates E0 grade into mandatory requirements, tightening the formaldehyde emission limit from the previous E1 standard of 0.124 mg/m³ to an E0 limit of ≤0.050 mg/m³. At the 2026 High-Quality Development Conference for the Home Furnishing Industry, more than 30 leading enterprises jointly issued a development declaration, pledging that from June 1 onward they will neither manufacture, sell, nor distribute any wood-based panels or related products that fail to meet the new national standard.

On March 31, 2026, the 2026 High-Quality Development Conference for the Home Furnishing Industry and the “3·15” Green Consumption Initiative were held at the Beijing International Bamboo and Rattan Tower, under the theme of “Green Leadership, Value Reshaping.” The conference was organized by the China National Forest Products Industry Association, bringing together industry stakeholders to discuss pathways for enhancing industry value and expanding green growth under the implementation of new national standards.

One of the conference’s central topics was the rollout of the mandatory national standard, Limit of Formaldehyde Emission of Wood-Based Panels and Finishing Products for Indoor Decorating and Refurbishing Materials. During the keynote forum, Zhou Hongsheng, President of the China National Forest Products Industry Association, emphasized that 2026 marks both the opening year of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan period and a critical year for the full-scale advancement of green consumption initiatives.

He noted that the official implementation of this new standard on June 1, 2026 represents a major milestone in the high-quality development of China’s wood-based panel industry. Compared with the 2017 version, the updated standard introduces a historic breakthrough by making E0 grade mandatory for the first time. Formaldehyde emission limits for indoor-use wood-based panel products have been upgraded from the previous E1 limit of 0.124 mg/m³ to the stricter E0 requirement of ≤0.050 mg/m³, while the previous mandatory standard will be simultaneously phased out.

At the conference, leaders from more than 30 major enterprises jointly released the 2026 High-Quality Development Declaration for the Home Furnishing and Home Decoration Industry: “Value Reconstruction, Green Expansion, and Growth.” The declaration outlined five public commitments:

1.Uphold environmental and quality standards by strictly complying with the new national standard, accelerating manufacturing process upgrades, and ensuring that from June 1, 2026, no non-compliant wood-based panels or related products will be manufactured, sold, or circulated.

2.Reject misleading marketing concepts, including ambiguous claims such as “zero formaldehyde,” and ensure truthful product classification labeling.

3.Promote value-based competition by increasing R&D investment, advancing low-formaldehyde and formaldehyde-free adhesives, green manufacturing, and other advanced technologies to cultivate new productive forces within the industry.

4.Accept public supervision and work collectively to build a healthier green consumption environment.

5.Support national strategic objectives related to sustainability and industrial upgrading.

In addition, the China National Forest Products Industry Association, together with the National Quality Inspection and Testing Center for Wood-Based Panels and Bamboo Products, the National Technical Committee for Standardization of Wood-Based Panels, and leading enterprises in the sector, jointly launched the 2026 Green Consumption Service Year for Home Furnishing and Decoration and Quality Assurance Service Program for Wood-Based Panels and Products.

This initiative will carry out three core tasks before and after implementation of the new standard:

    Standard promotion and training programs

    Product quality inspections and spot checks

    Consumer rights protection and after-sales support services

Conference representatives widely agreed that the industry must move away from low-end price competition and instead shift toward value competition centered on technology, quality, and service. The new national standard is expected to serve both as an industry benchmark line and as a consumer safety line, strengthening public trust in the sector.

The implementation of the new standard marks the beginning of a new phase of high-quality development for China’s wood-based panel industry and is expected to strongly accelerate green transformation and consumer upgrading across the home furnishing sector.

Sources:
Workers’ Daily Client / China Economic Net / Xinhua News Agency
workercn.cn/c/2026-04-02/8771098.shtml
ce.cn/xwzx/gn/202604/02/t20260402_14524863.shtml
news.cn/2026-04/02/c_1131234567.htm

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