CCC Certification for China

CCC Certificate / Certification for China

The China Compulsory Certification - CCC is a certification system valid in the People's Republic of China. The Chinese CCC certification system was developed in 2002 for the Chinese market. 

In 2003, the CCC certification was introduced in the Chinese market by the Chinese authorities AQSIQ and CNCA. The CCC certification replaces the previous systems CCIB and CCEE.

As part of the CCC certification, product inspections and production audits are conducted. The certification process typically takes 4 to 6 months. The approval is implemented according to the Chinese GB safety requirements for conformity assessment.

The CCC certification applies to imported and domestic goods in China. Products that require certification may only be imported and sold if they are certified. 

Process of CCC Certification

The process of CCC certification is implemented according to the national standards of the People's Republic of China. The national CCC standards are also referred to as Implementation Rules. 

According to the national standards, all products requiring certification and the procedures for CCC certification are defined. The standards are regularly updated and aligned with international standards, such as CE or EAC conformity standards.

The CCC certification process consists of the following steps: 

1. Application for CCC certification
2. Submission of application documents
3. Submission of test and sample products 
4. Conducting the production audit 
5. Issuance of the CCC certification 
6. Marking approval
7. Ongoing CCC approval

GB standards stand for Guobiao Standards and mean National Standard in Chinese. 

A CCC certificate and marking approval must be renewed annually. During the renewal, no additional product samples are required, and the audit is kept brief and concise. The modification of the certificate incurs lower costs than the initial certification.

The results of the product tests and production audits are compared by Chinese experts with the GB guidelines; if the products do not meet the Chinese GB standards, the certification application is rejected. 

The rejection of certification includes an inspection report and a justification for the rejection. A re-examination is possible but incurs additional costs.

Update of CCC Certification

In 2014, the CCC conformity regulations were comprehensively updated and include regulations for the CCC conformity requirements of all product groups. 

A product catalog was introduced in the Republic of China that encompasses all product groups requiring CCC approval. The catalog contains a listing of GB standards relevant for the CCC certification of the product. 

CCC Certification for Various Product Groups

The CCC product catalog includes the following product groups: 

• Electrical wires, cables, and conductors
• Circuit breakers and fuses
• Protection and connection devices
• Audio and video equipment
• Telecommunication equipment
• Vehicles and automotive parts 
• Low voltage equipment
• High voltage equipment
• Lighting devices
• Welding machines
• Electrical appliances 

CCC Marking

The CCC marking must be confirmed by the Chinese authority CNCA (Certification and Accreditation Administration). The CQC (The China Quality Certification Center) or the CCAP (China Certification Center for Automotive Products) are responsible for conducting the CCC certification and determining the products that require certification.

For specific product groups, additional authorities are responsible:

• CEMC (China Certification Center for Electromagnetic Compatibility) – Electrical devices 
• CSP (China Certification Center for Security and Protection) – Security products 
• CSCG (China Safety Global Certification Center) – Safety glass

Costs and Duration of CCC Certification

The costs and duration of CCC certification vary significantly for different product groups and depend on the products to be certified. 

The following types of costs and expenses apply to CCC certification:

• Application fees
• Inspection fees
• Testing and audit fees
• Marking fees
• Translation costs 
• Renewal fees

Additionally, there may be extra costs for incorrectly filled forms, repeated testing of sample products, or changes to the CCC certification.