China CCC certification for exporters: process, CCC mark and exemptions

The CCC process

• Check whether your product is on CNCA's list and read the Implementation Rules for its scope.
• Apply to a CNCA-designated certification body, directly or through an agent.
• Send product samples for type testing at a CNCA-designated laboratory in China.
• Host the initial factory inspection by the certification body.
• Receive the certificate after evaluation, or retest if the results fail.
• Mark the products with the CCC mark and keep up with regular follow-up inspections.

Exemptions

Some imports are exempt by law, such as items for diplomatic missions, travellers' personal use and government aid or gifts. Others can be exempted on application, for example goods for research and testing, complements for a production line, maintenance parts for end users, exhibition goods not for sale and certain processing-trade parts, and some low-volume goods may be exempted after inspection. A component that would need CCC generally needs no CCC label when it is an integral part of a finished product that does not require CCC, but this area is unclear, so confirm with a certification body or CNCA before export.

Customs and planning

Goods that need CCC but lack it may be detained at the border or returned to the sender, and printing the CCC mark without certification brings penalties. Because testing takes place in China and the certification body inspects the factory, the process has a service standard of three months but can take much longer, and the certificate must be maintained through follow-up inspections and renewed before the five years end.