Attention Of Foreign Trade People! Products Exported To EU And UK May Face Double Certification

Important note: on September 1, 2020, the British government officially announced that Britain has left the European Union, and officially began to use the UK conformity assessment (ukca) certification mark on January 1, 2021. The transitional period of product mark use after brexit will be ended by the end of this year.

The ukca mark is a new UK product mark, which will be used for products sold in the UK (England, Wales and Scotland) market and covers most of the goods that previously required the CE mark. The ukca mark does not apply to goods sold on the Northern Ireland market.

After the UK ukca mark is implemented, the products that originally only need CE certification will be exported to EU and UK respectively, which may have a significant impact on the product cost of enterprises and need high attention.

primary coverage

01 products requiring new ukca logo

02 when to use ukca logo

03 how to use ukca logo

04. Influence of domestic export enterprises and Countermeasures

1  Products requiring new ukca logo

01  Products sold in the UK

The ukca mark will be applicable to most goods currently using the CE mark. from January 1, 2021 Since then, the technical requirements, conformity assessment process and standards that must be met by the products will be basically the same as now. Ukca will be used in some cases for the sale of goods in the UK. The UK encourages companies to be ready to use the ukca logo as soon as possible before this date.

Although the ukca mark has been used since January 1, 2021, in order to give enterprises time to adapt to the new requirements, in most cases, Until January 1, 2022 The CE mark can still be used. The CE mark is only valid in areas where the UK and EU rules are still consistent. If the EU changes its rules and the product CE mark meets the new EU rules, the product will not be sold in the UK using the CE mark, even before 31 December 2021.

The following are the specific product areas covered by the ukca logo:

Toy safety;

Leisure craft and personal vessels;

Simple pressure vessel;

Electromagnetic compatibility;

Automatic weighing and non weighing instrument;

Measuring instrument;

elevator;

ATEX；

radio set;

Pressure equipment;

Personal protective equipment;

Gas appliances;

Mechanics;

Outdoor noise;

Ecological design;

Aerosol;

Low voltage electrical equipment;

Limit harmful substances;

Products covered by ukca mark but with some special rules:

Medical equipment;

Railway interoperability equipment;

Construction products;

Civilian explosives.

02  Products sold in the EU

CE mark is still needed for goods sold in EU The ukca logo will not be recognized by the EU market. From January 1, 2021, CE certification is still required for products that need CE mark to be sold in EU.

2  When to use ukca logo

After January 1, 2021, products meeting all of the following conditions need to be marked with new ukca immediately.

1. Products made for the UK market;

2. The ukca logo must be used according to the law;

3. Products requiring compulsory third-party conformity assessment;

4. The product has been assessed by the UK conformity assessment body, and the conformity assessment document has not been transferred from the UK body to the EU recognized institution before January 1, 2021 (if the transfer is successful, it will be regarded as equivalent to CE certification, CE mark can be used to continue to be sold in the UK market, instead of the ukca mark).

If these products are not ready for production by January 2021, for example, they are ready for production. In this case, even if it is a certificate of compliance issued by a UK body, products bearing the CE mark can still be sold in the UK.

From January 1, 2022, the UK will not recognize the CE mark. However, the product can still be sold in the UK with the relevant KCa mark as long as the product bears the relevant KCa mark. There are separate applicable rules for medical devices.

3  How to use ukca logo

01

How to place ukca logo

In most cases, the ukca logo must be used on the product itself or on the package. In some cases, it may be placed on a manual or other supporting document. This will vary depending on the specific regulations applicable to the product.

General rules of application:

1. Ukca logo can only be placed on the product by the manufacturer or authorized representative (if permitted by relevant laws);

2. When the ukca logo is pasted, the manufacturer or authorized representative shall be fully responsible for the product's compliance with the requirements of relevant laws;

3. Only ukca mark can be used to show that the product complies with relevant British laws;

4. The manufacturer or authorized representative shall not place any mark or mark on the product that may cause misunderstanding to the third party on the meaning or form of ukca logo;

5. It is not allowed to attach other marks that affect the visibility, readability or meaning of ukca logo on the product;

6. The ukca mark shall not be used on the product unless required by law.

02

Rules for using ukca images

It must be ensured that when the logo is reduced or enlarged, the letter ukca logo must be in the same proportion as the version listed below. The height of ukca logo shall be at least 5mm, unless different minimum sizes are specified by relevant laws. The ukca logo must be clearly visible (it must be permanently attached to the product from January 1, 2023).

03

Transitional measures for the use of ukca logo

For general products covered by the ukca mark, the following transitional measures apply. Before January 1, 2023, for most goods (except those subject to special rules), the ukca mark can be attached to the label with the product or attached documents 。 Operators (whether manufacturers, importers or distributors) should take reasonable measures to ensure that the ukca mark remains valid. Products requiring ukca mark cannot be provided without it (unless CE mark is used before January 1, 2022)

From January 1, 2023, the ukca logo must be printed directly on the product in most cases The manufacturer should incorporate this date into the product design process.

Ukca marking transitional measures do not apply to construction products, medical equipment, railway system interoperability equipment and transportable pressure equipment and other special products.

4  How to deal with domestic export related enterprises

With the official implementation of ukca mark in the UK, CE certification is required for products exported from China to EU, which will increase the cost of certification.

According to statistics in recent years, the main types of products exported from China to the UK are mechanical and electrical products, furniture and toys, textiles and raw materials. In addition, base metals and products, plastic rubber and chemical products are also important commodities imported from China by Britain. Among them, mechanical and electrical products and toy products are mainly covered by ukca logo. Therefore, relevant export enterprises need to focus on and obtain timely The traders shall prepare the certification materials in advance and complete the product certification as soon as possible, so as to avoid unnecessary losses.

Contributors

International inspection and quarantine standards and technical regulations research center of General Administration of Customs