CNEx and UL Sign Partnership Agreement to Promote CCC Ex Product Certification

On June 11, 2019, CNEx and UL, a US-based international safety certification body signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to advance international certification of products used in explosion-protected atmospheres (Ex products, or “products used in hazardous locations” in the US). UL is one of the world’s largest and most well-known independent safety testing laboratories. It has had a long-standing working relationship with CNEx on various Ex safety issues since 2002.

The partnership agreement comes at a critical time when the Chinese Compulsory Certification (CCC) scheme is being implemented on October 1, 2019. There is only a one-year transition period for Ex product manufacturers to acquire their CCC Mark, and starting from October 1, 2020, all Ex products sold in China must be CCC-certified. In light of this new policy, CNEx and UL are working together to help Ex product manufacturers apply for the CCC Mark.

The CCC certification process involves three steps: (1) product sample testing at accredited laboratories; (2) factory on-site audit; and (3) post-certification assessments. Previously, Ex products manufactured outside of China were only required to undertake step (1) product sample testing, which could be expedited if the product had a valid IECEx QAR and/or ATEX QAN for production quality. While the CCC scheme now requires all three steps to be implemented, CNEx working with its international partners and regulatory bodies, is best positioned to provide CCC Ex certification service for manufacturers worldwide.

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Learn more about CCC certification here.