China Compulsory Certification
The China Compulsory Certification (CCC) is a certification system valid in the People's Republic of China . The CCC certification system was introduced to the Chinese market on May 1st, 2002. In August 2003, the authorities AQSIQ and CNCA made a joint announcement that they would implement CCC certification for the Chinese market. CCC replaces the previous systems CCIB (China Import and Export Commodity Inspection Bureau) and CCEE (China Commission for Conformity Certification of Electrical Equipment). As part of the certification, product tests and factory audits are carried out. The entire process can be completed in around four months with good advice. The CCC certification is based on the national, Chinese GB standards and implementation rules. The CCC applies to both imported and Chinese products. The products that are subject to certification may only be imported into China, sold in China and used in business activities in China after a CCC certification of the product has been applied for and granted.
Implementing Regulations
The implementation rules (also called implementation rules) regulate the process of the CCC certification and list the products to be certified. As the regulations are constantly being updated, it is important to get the latest version before starting a certification process.
A major regulatory update took place in 2014. A. Includes the following major changes:
- Increased number of products that require certification
- Introduction of factory level (A – D)
- Self-made parts no longer have to be certified separately
GB standards
A CCC product catalog has been created by the Chinese government , which contains all products that require CCC certification. The catalog contains a list of standards according to which a product must be certified: The so-called GB standards (GB stands for Guobiao, Chinese for "National Standard").
Affected Products
The CCC product catalog contains the following products, among others:
- Electric wires and cables
- Switches for circuits and fuses
- Electric wires and cables
- Switches for circuits, built-in protection and connection devices
- Low voltage equipment
- Small engines
- Electrical tools
- Welding machines
- Electrical appliances for household and similar purposes
- Audio and video products
- IT equipment
- Lighting devices
- Motor vehicle parts and safety components
- Motor vehicle tires
- Safety glass
- Telecommunications end products
- Detector for intrusion system
- Decoration materials
- toy
- Fire protection products
Responsible authorities
The CCC mark is administered by the Chinese central authority CNCA (Certification and Accreditation Administration). The CQC (The China Quality Certification Center) or the CCAP (China Certification Center for Automotive Products) are responsible for carrying out the certification and determine the product groups that are subject to certification.
There are also other authorities that are responsible for specific product groups:
- CSP (China Certification Center for Security and Protection) for security products, forensic technology and traffic safety products
- CSCG (China Safety Global Certification Center) for safety glass
- CEMC (China Certification Center for Electromagnetic Compatibility) for all electrical products
Certification process
Companies that want to export goods that are subject to certification to China must roughly go through the following steps:
- registration
- Submission of the application documents
- Sending product samples to China for laboratory testing
- Factory inspection by Chinese auditors from the responsible certification authority
Depending on the product area, individual steps can be carried out before or after. A minimum of 6 months can be expected for certification.
Follow-up certification
The CCC certificate and the marking approval must be renewed annually as part of a follow-up certification or recertification. Follow-up certification is shorter and costs less than initial certification. Usually no further product test is required in China and the audit is kept more compact.
Probability of success
The certification can fail if the Chinese guidelines are not or not fully observed. The results of the product test and the factory tour are checked by the Chinese authorities and compared with the forms submitted in advance. In the event of errors or deficiencies, certification will be rejected or delays will occur. If the CCC certification is rejected, the certification report contains a reason for the rejection. It is possible to start tests and audits again, but this entails additional costs and waiting times.
CCC certification costs
The amount of the costs depends on the products to be certified. The Chinese authorities have the following types of costs for CCC certification:
- Application fees and superordinate authority fees
- Test fees for performing the tests on the test samples
- Inspection fees
- travel costs and expenses
- CNCA marking fees
In addition come
- Interpreter costs
- Product costs for test products
- Internal costs, e.g. personnel costs
There are also additional costs if forms are filled out incorrectly, tests / audits have to be repeated and / or CCC certificates have to be comprehensively changed.
Legal practice
If the CCC regulations are not observed, the imported goods will be held at the Chinese border or returned to the sender. Unauthorized use of a CCC license or the CCC marking of products without a valid CCC certificate will result in fines and legal proceedings against the exporter.
Protection of intellectual property with CCC certification
Although the CCC certification is only intended to ensure the conformity of the products with the Chinese standards, many companies are concerned that there will be trademark infringements and / or patent infringements during the CCC certification. Many companies are particularly concerned about the following steps of CCC certification:
- Detailed product information that is required when submitting the application
- Type testing of the products, which takes place in China
- Factory audit by Chinese inspectors who inspect the factory
The dangers of trademark or patent infringement due to CCC certification are low. Since the CCC certification is very important for the Chinese economy, authorities and test laboratories attach great importance to ensuring that no legal violations take place during certification and that companies are protected. There is of course the possibility to reduce the residual risk even further. For this, it is necessary for companies to obtain information from a specialized lawyer about the risks to their product and protection options.
Individual evidence
- ↑ "Certification in Brief", CQC, archive link ( Memento of the original from July 21, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. dated June 2015, accessed June 16, 2015.
- ↑ www.cnca.gov.cn: English list of rules for electrical and non-electrical goods. Retrieved January 26, 2014 .
- ↑ "Electrical wires and cables", CQC, archive link ( Memento of the original from June 18, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. dated June 2015, accessed June 16, 2015.
- ↑ "Switches for circuits, installation protective and connection devices", CQC, archive link ( Memento of the original from June 18, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. dated June 2015, accessed June 16, 2015.
- ^ "Welding machines", CQC, archive link ( memento from June 18, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) from June 2015, accessed June 18, 2015.
- ↑ "Lighting apparatus", CQC, archive link ( memento of the original from June 18, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. dated June 2015, accessed June 16, 2015.
- ↑ "Toys", CQC, archive link ( memento of the original from June 22, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. dated June 2015, accessed June 29, 2015.
See also
- GB standard
- China Certification Center for Automotive Products
- China Quality Certification Center
- CQC certification
- Certification
- Trademark Law (People's Republic of China)
literature
- Fischer / Gayk: Certification in China - China Compulsory Certification . Mendel Publishing House.
- Julian Busch: A Brief Guide to CCC: China Compulsory Certification . ISBN 978-1484115534 .