A GOTS certified fabric supplier in India is one whose own processing units hold a valid certificate from a GOTS-approved certification body, and who can issue a transaction certificate for each shipment. A certificate in the supplier's name alone is not enough to label the fabric. The fibre, the yarn, the fabric, the dyeing and the finishing all have to be covered.
GOTS is the Global Organic Textile Standard. If you are buying organic cotton fabric for a label that says GOTS, the claim passes through your suppliers' certificates, so you need to understand where the chain can break.
Which steps in the chain need certification?
The farm is covered by an organic farming standard, usually a national or international organic scheme. From the point the fibre leaves the farm, each processor that handles it must itself be certified to GOTS. In a typical fabric chain that means:
- The ginner, if the organic fibre is sold as ginned lint.
- The spinner who makes the yarn.
- The weaver or knitter who makes the fabric.
- The wet processor who bleaches, dyes, prints and finishes it.
- The trader or merchant who owns the goods at any point, unless the standard's rules for the exemption apply.
Who needs a certificate, and who needs a licence?
Two different things get confused. A scope certificate shows that a particular site is approved to process organic goods and lists the products and processes covered. A transaction certificate, issued by the certifier, is tied to one specific shipment and records the quantity and the buyer. The goods in your container are only covered if a transaction certificate exists for them.
A label licence is a further step. A brand that wants to put the GOTS logo on the finished product has to follow the standard's labelling rules and register with the certifier, and the final product is usually certified too. If you are an importer of fabric rather than finished goods, ask your own certifier what applies to you before you print anything.
What are the fibre content rules?
GOTS has two label grades. The "organic" grade requires at least 95% certified organic fibre. The "made with organic materials" grade requires at least 70%. The balance of a blend is restricted, and certain fibres and blends are not permitted. The standard also sets limits on chemical inputs in dyeing and finishing, and requires wastewater treatment. These details are updated periodically, so check the current version on the GOTS website before you write a specification.
The difference between this and other labels is covered in GOTS, OCS and OEKO-TEX: what each label covers. Where the product is bedding or towels, GOTS-certified home textiles from India goes into the product side.
How do you check a GOTS supplier?
Do not accept a PDF on its own. GOTS publishes a public database of certified entities, and the certifier that issued the certificate keeps its own records. Check the company name, address, scope, products and expiry date against the database, then ask for the transaction certificate of a previous shipment, with the buyer's name masked if needed. The process is set out in how to verify a textile certificate with the certifier.
Then look at the physical flow. If the supplier is a trader, ask which certified mill made the fabric. If a mill sends fabric out for dyeing, that dye house must be certified as well. Gaps in subcontracting are the most common reason a claim collapses on inspection.
Common mistakes
Buyers most often ask for "organic cotton" when they mean "GOTS", and the two are not the same. Organic cotton can be bought without any processing-stage certification, and then you cannot make a GOTS claim. The second error is ordering on a certificate that expired between sampling and production. Check the validity date again at the time of the order and before shipment.
Next step
We can trace a supplier's chain, check certificates with the issuing body and make sure the transaction certificate matches the lot you receive. Book a free sourcing review with the specification and the market you are selling into.