The China Compulsory Certificate mark, commonly known as a CCC Mark, is a compulsory safety mark for many products imported, sold or used in the Chinese market. It was implemented on May 1, 2002, and became fully effective on August 1, 2003.
It is the result of the integration of China's two previous compulsory inspection systems, namely "CCIB" (Safety Mark, introduced in 1989 and required for products in 47 product categories) and "CCEE" (also known as "Great Wall" Mark, for electrical commodities in 7 product categories), into a single procedure.
Applicable products
The CCC mark is required for both Chinese-manufactured and foreign-imported products; the certification process involves the Guobiao standards.
The mandatory products include, among others: Electrical wires and cables Circuit switches, electric devices for protection or connection Low-voltage Electrical Apparatus Low power motors Electric tools Welding machines Household and similar electrical appliances Audio and video apparatus (not including the audio apparatus for broadcasting service and automobiles) Information technology equipment Lighting apparatus (not including the lighting apparatus with the voltage lower than 36V) Motor vehicles and safety accessories Motor vehicle Tires Safety Glasses Agricultural Machinery Telecommunication Terminal Products Fire Fighting Equipment Safety Protection Products Wireless LAN products Decoration Materials Toys
Implementation rules
Apart from the GB Standard, the implementation rules are the second important component that form the basis of CCC certification. The implementation rules determine the process of the CCC-Certification and list the mandatory products for the certification. Based on many regulatory amendments, it is important to get the latest version of the implementation rules before starting the certification process.
In 2014, a comprehensive regulatory amendment of the Implementation Rules had taken place. The major changes are: Amendments for Automotive Parts Introduction of factory levels (A-D) Self-made products for end products do not require a CCC Certificate anymore
Administration
The CCC mark is administered by the CNCA (Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People's Republic of China). The China Quality Certification Center (CQC) is designated by CNCA to process CCC mark applications and defines the products that need CCC. The products are summed up in overall product categories. Additionally, the following certification authorities are responsible for specific groups of products: CCAP (China Certification Centre for Automotive Products) products in the automotive area CSP (China Certification Center for Security and Protection) certifies security products, forensic technology and products for road safety CSCG (China Safety Global Certification Centre) for safety glass CEMC (China Certification Centre for Electromagnetic Compatibility) all electronic products
Follow-up certification
The CCC certificate and the Permission of Printing, which allows the manufacturer to mark the CCC-certified product with the CCC mark, must be renewed annually in order to keep the validity of the certificate. The renewal can only be done through a follow-up certification. Part of the follow-up certification is a one-day factory audit.