Chinese product licensing

 

The points below are general and may be modified by local authorities at any time.

Outside China, we refer to this as “Product Certification,” which is enforced by the “Trading Standard” office. In English translations, this is referred to as “Product Licensing.”

A Chinese product license is typically not required for products sold directly to consumers from overseas, as these are considered “one-off” sales. 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 plan to use multiple distribution channels, you'll need to arrange for the product to be licensed in China. Once the licensing is agreed upon, customs will have access to the information, and products should be able to move freely through Chinese Customs.

The product licensing process can be time-consuming. 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 incur additional time and expense.

Last modified: v3.4 - September 2025