Watchdogs streamline safety seals on imports

Consumer watchdogs in China will step up efforts to streamline compulsory certifications for overseas-made products.

The move is geared at making it easier for overseas products to meet compulsory certification standards and enter the world's largest market, said Wang Fengqing, director of the Certification and Accreditation Administration of China.

Wang said at a national conference on certification and accreditation yesterday that the mandatory safety certificate for products sold on the Chinese market had proved effective since its implementation in August 2003.

International enterprises and the trade community have welcomed the China Compulsory Certification (CCC) system but voiced many concerns about its implementation, earlier reports said.

However, some complaints have been voiced about how time-consuming the certification can be.

Enrico Malcovati, secretary-general of the Italian Mechanical Engineering Associations, said factory inspections carried out in Europe are very burdensome and a major source of delays.

He proposed that factory inspections be done by accredited European bodies and eliminated for companies certified according to international standards.

At the same time, information mechanisms about the CCC policy could be improved. This was especially important for small and medium-sized enterprises that do not have representatives in China, he said.

"Chinese authorities could establish a competent contact point in Europe that could provide reliable information and help," he said.

At yesterday's conference, Wang vowed that the administration will perfect its website to improve transparency and clarity.

To shorten the certification period, she said the administration plans to add more agencies and open up online certification.

Wang said more products will be added to the CCC list to ensure the safety of consumers.

At the same time, the country's product quality and quarantine watchdog will send professional enforcement staff to check markets and points of entry to the country to ensure the mandatory system is implemented.

"Anyone who fails to comply should be penalized and fined in line with the related laws and regulations," said Wang.

Wang said China has put a lot of work into product certification since it joined the World Standardization Organization, especially after it joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001.

In addition to the compulsory certificates, the Chinese Government has already set up a voluntary certification system for other products.

Products in 19 groups divided into 132 categories, including household electrical appliances, motor vehicles and parts, information technology equipment, audio and video apparatus, lighting equipment and medical devices are required to have compulsory certificates.

Solvent coatings for woodware, porcelain tiles and concrete mixtures will be added to the list on August 1 next year.

Intrusion detectors, burglar-alarm control units, vehicle security alarm systems and burglar-resistant safes will also be incorporated on October 1 next year, according to the director.

More than 30,000 domestic and foreign enterprises have already passed tests.

In line with international standards, a total of 150,000 CCC certificates have been issued to commodities essential to consumers' health and safety, such as condoms and seat belts.

Out of the certificates, more than 137,000 were awarded to domestically made products and more than 12,000 to imported products.

China Daily