Category: European Union

CE marking is mandatory when importing many products to the European Union. The stakes are high, as your shipment can be seized by the customs authorities if it’s not properly CE marked and certified.

But what is the cost of CE marking and certification? And, who should pay for it?

In this article, you will learn how you can manage the CE process on your own without paying a single euro – but why it makes sense to hire a consultant to handle certain parts of the process.

At least the first time you import a product that must be CE marked.

But first, let’s recap on what CE marking actually is:

CE is a framework, rather than a standard. Many, but not all, EU directives require that a product is CE marked.

To CE mark a product, you must take these steps:

a. Create the CE label file (and make sure that your products get labelled correctly)

b. Confirm all applicable directives (i.e., RoHS and LVD)

c. Create a User Manual, Technical file and Declaration of Conformity

1. You can practically do it yourself without spending a cent

CE marking involves creating label files and a set of documents. That’s really how simple it can be to get your product CE compliant.

You can find a lot of information about applicable directives and EN standards for free on the internet, including here on Chinaimportal.com.

It’s indeed time consuming, but you can do everything by yourself, for free.

For most products, third party lab testing is not even mandatory, even though it’s recommended.

If you decide to go through the CE marking process on your own, you need to take the following steps:

a. Research all applicable directives

b. Create label files

c. Create Declaration of Conformity, Manual and Technical file

While a test report may not be mandatory, notice that the authorities in any EU state can require that you provide a test report to prove that the product is compliant with all relevant EN directives.

Normally, you don’t need to submit the documentation or get any form of third party approval. You just create the documents and keep them for at least 10 years.

It’s indeed time consuming to figure out how these documents should look the first time, but it’s highly rewarding as you can easily replicate the process when importing other products in the future. Continue reading What is the cost of CE marking and certification?

The CE mark is a well known compliance marked, found on a wide range of different products, for example electronics, toys and machinery. The CE mark signals compliance with all, to the specific product, applicable regulations: For example the Low Voltage Directive or the EN 71 Toy Safety Directive. The CE Mark is not applicable to all products. However, it is mandatory for all products within its scope of regulations.

As I will further explain in this article, there is a lot more to CE marking than what meets the eye, namely the printed little logo. While many importers are aware that there are requirements for testing and documentation, plenty of businesses fail to understand how such documentation is produced, and what it must include.

Then there is China. CE marking procedures are not developed with importers in mind. While ensuring CE marking compliance is relatively simple for an EU or US based manufacturer, which is only concerned with its own products – it’s far more complex for importers buying from contract manufacturers in China, and other developing countries in Asia. We debunk 6 common myths concerning CE marking when importing from China, and explain the background to each one.

Continue reading Myth and Reality of CE Marking When Importing from China