For enterprises, export certification can intuitively affirm product quality and greatly benefit brand image enhancement; For the market, export certification is a means for the state to regulate market transaction principles, which can ensure the legitimate rights of consumers to the greatest extent possible. The overall environment of international trade is always complex and ever-changing. When enterprises face different products in different markets, it also means that the required certifications and standards are also different. This article collects commonly used export certifications in foreign trade. It is recommended that you collect them first before reading them~International logisticsInternational certificationIECEE-CB:The mutual recognition system for testing certificates of electrical products is a system that promotes international trade by obtaining national level certification or approval through mutual recognition (mutual acceptance) of test results among members participating in the CB system. Simply put, manufacturers can obtain national certification from other member countries of the CB system through a CB test certificate issued by an NCB.ISO9000:The IS09000 standard refers to all international standards developed by the Technical Committee for Quality Management and Quality Assurance of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO/TC176), which can help organizations implement and effectively operate quality management systems. It is a universal requirement or guideline for quality management systems. It is not limited by specific industries or economic sectors and can be widely applied to various types and sizes of organizations, playing a role in promoting mutual understanding in domestic and international trade.GMP:Good production operation standards (GMP) require food production enterprises (companies) to have reasonable production processes, good production equipment, advanced and scientific production regulations, sound quality control, strict operating procedures, and finished product quality management systems. Through correct control of their production processes, the goal is to achieve comprehensive improvement in food nutrition and safety. The content stipulated by GMP is the most basic requirement that food processing enterprises must meet.HACCP:Hazard analysis and critical control points, also known as “Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points,” are a prevention system for controlling hazards based on Good Operating Practices (GMP) and Hygiene Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP). Its main control objective is food safety, so compared to other quality management systems, it can focus its main energy on critical processing points that affect product safety, rather than putting a lot of effort into every step, This is more effective in prevention.EMC:The electromagnetic compatibility of electronic and electrical products is not only related to the reliability and safety of the product itself, but also may affect the normal operation of other equipment and systems, and is related to the protection of the electromagnetic environment. The European Community government stipulates that starting from January 1, 1996, all electrical and electronic products must pass EMC certification and be affixed with the CE mark before they can be sold in the European Community market.IPPC:The International Wooden Packaging Quarantine Measures Standard is used to identify wooden packaging that complies with IPPC standards, indicating that the wooden packaging has been processed according to IPPC quarantine standards. The purpose of affixing the IPPC logo on wooden packaging is to ensure global agricultural safety and take effective measures to prevent the spread and spread of harmful organisms with plants and plant products, promoting pest control measures.Asian certificationCCC:China Compulsory Product Certification, also known as China Compulsory Product Certification, is a product qualification evaluation system implemented by the Chinese government in accordance with laws and regulations to protect consumer personal and national safety, strengthen product quality management. China uses mandatory product certification for 149 products in 22 major categories. After the implementation of China’s mandatory certification mark, it will gradually replace the original “Great Wall” mark and “CCIB” mark.CB:The IEC system for qualified testing and certification of electrical products is recognized by the 30 member countries within the IECEE ccB system for all electrical products, as long as the enterprise obtains the CB certificate and test report issued by the committee. The purpose is to reduce international trade barriers caused by the need to meet different national certification or approval criteria.PSE:The “Japanese Product Safety Mark” is a mandatory market access system for Japanese electrical products. The Japanese government divides electrical products into “specific electrical products” and “non-specific electrical products” according to the provisions of the Japanese Electrical Product Safety Law. PSE includes requirements for both EMC and security. All products listed in the “Specific Electrical Supplies” catalog must be certified by a third-party certification agency authorized by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry to enter the Japanese market, obtain a certification certificate of conformity, and have a diamond shaped PSE logo on the label. CQC is the only certification body in China that has applied for Japanese PSE certification authorization. At present, the product categories for which CQC has obtained Japanese PSE product certification are divided into three categories: wires and cables, wiring equipment, and electrical power application machinery.KC mark:South Korea began implementing a new certification system, KC MARK certification, on January 1, 2009. The new certification method divides the applied products into two categories. In category one (mandatory certification), all electronic products must obtain KC Mark certification before they can be sold in the Korean market. They need to undergo factory inspections and product sampling tests every year, and the certificate has no validity period; Electronic products in Category 2 (voluntary certification) do not require factory inspection and the certificate is valid for five years.European certificationCE:It is a safety certification mark, considered as a passport for manufacturers to open and enter the European market, and CE represents European unity. In the EU market, the “CE” mark is a mandatory certification mark. Whether it is a product produced by internal enterprises in the EU or products produced in other countries, in order to circulate freely in the EU market, it is necessary to attach the “CE” mark to indicate that the product meets the basic requirements of the EU’s “New Methods for Technical Coordination and Standardization” directive.RoHS:A mandatory standard formulated by EU legislation, which was officially implemented on July 1, 2006. It is mainly used to regulate the material and process standards of electronic and electrical products, making them beneficial to human health and environmental protection.UKCA:The UK Certificate of Conformity (UKCA) certification is no different from the CE certification itself. Both are safety certification marks for products, except that CE certification represents the European Union, and UKCA is just a new mark after Brexit. Most products currently within the scope of CE mark control must be labeled with the UKCA mark if they are to be exported to the UK market (England, Wales, and Scotland) in the future. The UKCA mark is not applicable to products entering Northern Ireland.GS:A voluntary certification based on the German Product Safety Act (GPGS) and tested in accordance with the EU unified standard EN or German industrial standard DIN, is a recognized German safety certification mark in the European market. Usually, GS certified products have a higher selling price and are more popular.T Ü V:The German Technical Supervision Association, T Ü V, is a safety certification mark customized by Germany for component products. When applying for the T Ü V logo, enterprises can apply for the CB certificate together and obtain certificates from other countries through conversion. In addition, after the product is certified, the association will recommend these products to those who search for products through the association. During the whole machine certification process, all components that have obtained the T Ü V mark are exempt from inspection.VDE:As an internationally recognized safety testing and certification body for electronic devices and their components, VDE enjoys a high reputation in Europe and even internationally. The evaluated product scope includes household and commercial appliances, computer equipment, industrial and medical technology equipment, installation materials and electronic components, wires and cables.Americas certificationFCC:The Federal Communications Commission of the United States coordinates domestic and international communication by controlling radio broadcasting, television, telecommunications, satellites, and cables. Involving more than 50 states in the United States, Colombia, and its territories. Many wireless application products, communication products, and digital products require FCC approval to enter the US market. For mandatory certification, electronic and electrical products exported to the United States must pass FCC certification, and the certificate is valid for a long time.FDA:The US Food and Drug Administration, also known as the FDA, is responsible for ensuring the safety of food, cosmetics, drugs, biologics, medical equipment, and radiation products produced or imported in the United States. For mandatory certification, products must complete FDA registration or FDA testing before they can be exported to the United States. The validity period of certificates varies for different product categories.UL:Abbreviation for certification made by the American Insurance Testing Institute. The UL Safety Testing Institute is the most authoritative organization in the United States and also one of the largest civilian organizations in the world engaged in safety testing and certification. It is an independent, for-profit professional organization that conducts experiments for public safety; It is a non mandatory certification, mainly for testing and certification of product safety performance, and its certification scope does not include the EMC (electromagnetic compatibility) characteristics of the product. The validity period of the certificate is determined by the factory inspection, which is about 1-4 times a year. Enterprises are required to accept and pay audit fees or file maintenance fees.CPC:The “Children’s Product Safety Certificate” is a mandatory certification. Amazon platform requires merchants to upload CPC certificates when launching certain categories of products (such as children’s toys, baby products, etc.). Children’s products without CPC certificates are not allowed to be sold online. If continuous production is carried out without material changes, periodic testing must be conducted at least once a year to obtain valid certificates.DOE:According to the relevant electronic and electrical regulations in the United States, energy efficiency certification is mainly aimed at improving the efficiency of electronic and electrical products, saving energy, and reducing energy waste, in order to reduce energy consumption demand and greenhouse effect. As a mandatory certification (US Department of Energy), products on the list must undergo DOE certification. Before selling battery chargers in the market, they need to be registered and have a validity period of 1 year. After a one-year validity period, if the manufacturer or importer wishes to continue selling this product, they need to register it again.DOT:A mandatory certification system implemented for transportation vehicles and their components to ensure the safety of the country and its citizens. According to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), all vehicles and major component products intended for entry into the US market must be certified by the US DOT and have corresponding markings engraved on the products.CSA:The Canadian Standards Association, abbreviated as CSSC, is Canada’s first non-profit organization dedicated to developing industrial standards. Electronic and electrical products sold in the North American market require certification in terms of safety. Currently, CSA is the largest security certification body in Canada and one of the most famous security certification bodies in the world.INMETRO:The national accreditation body in Brazil is responsible for developing Brazilian national standards. Most of Brazil’s product standards are based on IEC and ISO standards, and manufacturers who export products to Brazil should refer to these two sets of standards when designing products. All products that meet Brazilian standards and other technical requirements must bear the mandatory INMETRO logo and the logo of an accredited third-party certification body in order to enter the Brazilian market.Certification from other countriesC/A-tick:The certification mark issued by the Australian Communications Authority for communication equipment has a C-tick certification cycle of 1-2 weeks. The product undergoes ACAQ technical standard testing, registers with ACA to use A/C-Tick, fills out a “Declaration of Conformity” form, and saves it together with the product compliance record. A label with the A/C-Tick logo is affixed to the communication product or equipment. A-Tick sold to consumers is only applicable to communication products, and electronic products are mostly C-Tick applications. However, if electronic products apply for A-Tick, they do not need to apply for C-Tick separately. Since November 2001, EMI applications from Australia/New Zealand have been merged; If the product is to be sold in these two countries, the following documents must be complete before marketing, in case ACA or New Zealand authorities conduct random inspections at any time. The EMC system in Australia divides products into three levels, and suppliers must register with ACA and apply for the use of the C-Tick logo before selling Level 2 and Level 3 products.SAA:The Australian standards organization is certified under the Standards Association of Australia, so many friends refer to Australian certification as SAA. Electrical products entering the Australian market must comply with local safety regulations, which is a certification that the industry often faces. Due to the mutual recognition agreement between Australia and New Zealand, all products certified in Australia can smoothly enter the New Zealand market for sale, and all electrical products must undergo safety certification (SAA). There are two main types of SAA logos, one is formal recognition and the other is standard logos. Formal certification is only responsible for samples, while standard markings require factory review for each individual.At present, there are two ways to apply for SAA certification in China. One is to transfer the CB test report. If there is no CB test report, you can also apply directly. In general, the application period for Australian SAA certification for common ITAV lighting fixtures and small household appliances is 3-4 weeks. If the product quality does not meet the standards, the date may be extended. When submitting a report for review in Australia, it is necessary to provide a SAA certificate for the product plug (mainly for products with plugs), otherwise it will not be processed. The important components in the product require a SAA certificate, such as the transformer SAA certificate for lighting fixtures, otherwise the Australian audit materials will not be approved.SASO:The abbreviation of the Saudi Arabian Standards Organization is to establish national standards for all daily necessities and products, which also involve measurement systems, labeling, etc.Export certification plays a very important role in different fields, and the original intention of establishing a certification and accreditation system is to coordinate social production, improve production efficiency, and promote economic development through standardized means such as unified standards, technical regulations, and qualification assessment procedures. I hope that every foreign trade enterprise can focus on the “product” itself, after all, quality is the king in order to stand invincible in the market.
