Requirements and documentation

The paperwork in order.

Furniture from China is no harder to import than from anywhere else, as long as the requirements are set from the start and the documentation exists when it is needed. This is how we handle it.

Who is responsible

Gemak, through Umbr AB, is the importer of the products we deliver. That means we are responsible for them meeting applicable requirements on delivery. The requirements are written into the contracts with manufacturers and checked before anything leaves China.

Requirements by product group

Product group
Requirement
How we make sure

Loose furniture

Limit on formaldehyde release from panel materials. Traceability for timber. Strength for contract use as the project requires.
Test reports from accredited laboratories, material specification written into the contract, and information on timber origin from the manufacturer.

Upholstered furniture and mattresses

Fire requirements for furniture and mattresses in hotels and public environments, where the project calls for it.
Fire testing of the fabric and of the complete product at an accredited laboratory, on the same materials that are delivered.

Textiles

Restrictions on chemicals in textiles. Fire behaviour for curtains and fabrics according to the project specification.
Chemical declaration from the manufacturer, and fire testing where it is required.

Lighting

CE marking under electrical safety and EMC rules. Requirements on light sources. Producer responsibility for electronics.
The manufacturer EU declaration and technical documentation, spot testing at a laboratory, and importer marking on the product.

Packaging

Producer responsibility for packaging in Sweden.
Packaging that protects the goods without unnecessary material, and membership of a collection scheme.

How we choose factories

Every manufacturer signs our supplier code of conduct, which builds on the ILO core conventions covering forced labour, child labour, working hours, wages and working conditions among other things. Because we have our own staff in China we can make both planned and unannounced visits to production, at the factory and at supplier offices, at any time. Subcontractors may not be used without our approval. On larger projects, or where the client requires it, we ask for third party audit under established frameworks such as amfori BSCI or SMETA.

Read the code of conduct →

PDF in English and Chinese. The Chinese version prevails in case of discrepancy.

We verify the certificates

Testing is done at independent, accredited laboratories, SGS, Intertek, TÜV or Bureau Veritas for example, depending on the product and the requirement. Test reports supplied by a manufacturer are checked directly with the laboratory that issued them. A certificate that cannot be verified does not count.

It is the accreditation that makes a test report valid, not the name of the laboratory. The laboratory must be accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 for that specific test method. In China accreditation is handled by CNAS, in Sweden by Swedac.

What comes with the delivery

  • A list of delivered products, by room or unit
  • Test reports for the requirements the project sets
  • EU declarations of conformity where CE marking applies
  • Documentation on timber origin
  • Care and assembly instructions

What we do not supply

Some products have their own regulatory regimes and need specialists. There we point you elsewhere.

  • Care beds and assistive devices
  • Children furniture and play equipment
  • Fire rated doors and load bearing structures
  • Electrical installation and fixed building services

Rules change. This page describes the position in autumn 2026. Which requirements apply to a given project is confirmed in each quote.

Have a project coming up?

Tell us what needs furnishing, roughly how much and when. We will come back with questions or a first proposal.

Tell us about your project