China Compulsory Certification

The China Compulsory Certification (CCC) is a Chinese system of product safety accreditation. It is compulsory for some 159 product types in 23 categories.

For this products or categories, the rules say that the products must have the certification mark before they can be delivered, sold, imported or used in any commercial activities; otherwise they can be retained at the border. Certain classes of products – such as medical and telecom equipment – may require additional certification with further accreditation.

The process for the application is handled by the China Quality Certification Center (CQC), though certain classes of products are handled by separate agencies. This process is divided in 5 steps, and the whole process takes between 5 and 18 months in practice.

The first step is the application for the CCC Certification, with all the relevant documents asked by the authorities.

Then comes the product testing for compliance with the relevant Chinese standards. Product testing may only be performed in a CQC-approved laboratory located in China. Officially, the legislation requires that the testers do not disclose any intellectual property material (trade secrets, production technologies and process technical secrets), although in practice it is not easy to avoid such problems.

The third step consists of an initial factory inspection expense by two Chinese inspectors. All factories that will manufacture the product for export to China must receive separate inspections. Concerning the inspection of overseas factories, the visas for the Chinese inspectors, travel and lodging accommodations, and professional interpreters are all at the applicant's expense.

The next step is the evaluation and approval or rejection itself.

The last step is the implementation of the follow-up inspection and renewal process for the certification. The certification must be updated annually via a process that includes a factory audit. The frequency of follow-up inspections depends on the safety level and quality record of the product and the manufacturer's compliance record.