The other brands on the list either failed to correctly list the materials used in the production of their apparel or were found to change shape and colour after washing.

The full list of substandard items has been published on the BAIC's website, www.hd315.gov.cn.

BAIC officials said there would be penalties for the involved parties.

"They could face fines worth up to three times the revenue they got from selling the goods and will be forced to exit the market," Wang Xiaojing, of the administration's information department, told China Daily.

"Buyers may return substandard goods if they have kept the receipt. They should first make sure their purchases are included on the list published on our website," Wang added.

In addition to Wal-Mart and Carrefour, substandard clothing was found on shelves at nine other chains, including Lotus Liuliqiao, Wangfujing Women's Collection and a Beijing Hualian Group branch.

An official at Wal-Mart said the retailer no longer carried the offending brands.

"The problematic trousers are no longer sold in our stores," a Wal-Mart representative told Xinhua, adding that he was unaware of the investigation.

This is at least the second report of unsafe clothes being sold in the capital city's leading chain stores to appear in the second half of this year.

Earlier in September, Beijing's municipal government suspended the sale of 79 children's products deemed substandard by officials. The products included clothing, stationery, eyeglasses, shoes, toothbrushes and toys.

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