Chinese product licensing
The points below are general and can be changed by the local authorities at any time.
Outside China, we call this “Product Certification,” enforced by the “Trading Standard” office. In English translations, this is called “Product Licensing.”
A Chinese product license is usually not required for products sold directly to a consumer from overseas as these are “one-off” product sales. An example of an exception to this rule is electrical goods. The certification standard for electrical goods is CCC. Most international electrical goods already have this certification.
Like any country's Customs, China will inspect and seize goods that do not meet local standards. However, this does not often happen to goods sold directly to consumers from an overseas company.
The central point to consider is whether the product is sold directly by a Chinese business, e.g., a wholesaler, retailer, or Chinese online store. Local Product Licensing must be in place.
Many products in China do not require product licensing. To help the Chinese authorities and local retailers understand your products, make your testing certification, e.g., EU certification, available online.
As covered in Business to Business (B2B), it is the responsibility of the Chinese importer to arrange the correct paperwork for Chinese Customs. They may need to arrange Chinese Product Licensing before you start exporting to China.
If you wish to use many distribution channels, you may need to arrange for the product to be licensed in China. Once the licensing is agreed upon, customs will access the information, and products should move freely through Chinese Customs.
The product licensing process can take a while. It depends on the testing documentation you can supply to the Chinese authorities and whether a recognised international testing organisation has performed the testing.
If the testing papers are not acceptable to the Chinese authorities, local Chinese testing may be required, which will cost time and money.
Last modifiedv3.3: June 2019