The Mandatory National Standard GB 18580-2025 Will Officially Take Effect on June 1, 2026.

GB 18580-2025 Indoor Decorating and Refurbishing Materials — Limit of Formaldehyde Emission from Wood-based Panels and Finished Productswill officially take effect on June 1, 2026.​ The standard establishes the E0 grade​ (≤0.050 mg/m³) as a mandatory market access threshold for wood-based panel finished products intended for indoor use (e.g., wooden doors, flooring, custom cabinets), replacing the previous E1 grade​ (≤0.124 mg/m³). However, the phrase "E0 grade is included in mandatory standards for the first time" is inaccurate; the E0 classification has existed since GB/T 39600-2021​ as a recommended (voluntary) grading. This update marks the first time it has been set as a statutory minimum requirement​ for indoor finished products within a mandatory national standard.

Distinction by Application:

The standard clearly differentiates between "wood-based panels"​ (e.g., bare plywood, particleboard), which remain subject to the E1 grade​ (≤0.124 mg/m³), and "wood-based panel finished products"​ (i.e., processed items such as wooden doors, flooring, and furniture ready for indoor use), which must meet the E0 grade​ (≤0.050 mg/m³).

Enforcement Effect:

After June 1, 2026, it will be unlawful to produce, sell, or import wood-based panel finished products that fail to meet the E0 limits for indoor applications; E1-grade finished products may no longer be used in new decoration projects.

Testing Method:

The 1 m³ climate chamber method​ is uniformly adopted as the basis for arbitration, with pretreatment and testing conditions aligned with international standards.

Note:

Claims that "E0 grade appears for the first time" are misleading—both ENF​ (≤0.025 mg/m³) and E0 were already categorized in the 2021 recommended standard. GB 18580-2025 is the first to establish E0 as a mandatory baseline, not the first to define the numerical value.