Brief Introduction of CQC

CQC is an authoritative certification body with independent operation personnel approved by Certification and Accreditation Administration of People Republic of China (CNCA). It is the largest and of such organization in China and had issued the biggest number of certificates in China.

CQC headquarter is located in Beijing, P.R.C. It is a professional certification body established by AQSIQ. It has 11 sub-centers for product certification and 31 audit centers for management system certification in China, with 180 contracted testing laboratories and 17 CB laboratories.

CQC is one of the earliest institutions that provide specialized certification with over 20 years of experience as the former China Quality Certification Center for Import and Export established in 1993, and Secretariat of China Commission for Conformity Certification of Electrical Equipment (CCEE) established in 1984.

Main Businesses of CQC

CQC main businesses include China Compulsory Certification (CCC), CQC Mark Certification (voluntary certification promoted by China), management system certification, professional training, and international certification service.

Product Certification: CQC is authorized by CNCA to undertake China Compulsory Certification, covering 158 kinds of products in 17 categories including home appliance, motor vehicles, safety glass, medical equipment, electrical wires and cables, toys, etc. Up to May 2007, it has issued more than 230,000 CCC certificates. For products not governed by CCC, CQC has also provided voluntary certification business (called CQC Mark Certification), covering more than 500 kinds of products and issuing more than 20,000 certificates.

Management System Certification: CQC can provide certification service on Quality Management System (QMS), Environment Management System (EMS), Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS) and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP), almost covering all industries and providing comprehensive service to various organizations. Up to now, CQC has issued more than 25,000 management system certificates. At the same time, it has developed and extended its range of certification, offering certification in such fields as TS16949, ISO13485 and ISO27001.

Professional Training: CQC is a professional training body with the broadest business range accredited by CCAA, with its training business covering management system training and CCC training. Qualified trainees are issued relevant training certificates by CQC which can be used to apply to be registered as a qualified auditor. Meanwhile, CQC has strong ability in developing training courses, with over 60 courses at present, including the course on basic knowledge of CDM.

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Brief Introduction of China Compulsory Certification Scheme (CCC or 3C)

In December 2001, the State General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People's Republic of China (AQSIQ) issued the regulations for the new compulsory product certification to replace the original old certification systems (CCIB and CCEE), to take effect on 1 May 2002.

The new certification scheme and mark is called China Compulsory Certification, abbreviated as CCC or 3C. It covers 135 kinds of products (in 20 product categories covering 9 industries) as compared to 138 kinds in the old schemes. Some new products kinds are introduced while some old ones are removed.

It is the statutory compulsory safety certification system to safeguard the consumers’ rights and interests and to protect the personal and property safety.

To know more about CCC product category, please click here …

General Application Process for CCC Approval

1. Initial Review
2. Quotation and Confirmation
3. Application and Sample Submission
4. Sample Testing (Technical Support and Assistance provided)
5. Testing Completed with Test Report issued
6. Initial Factory Inspection and arrangement for first-time factory (if applicable)
7. Documents Review for Certification Approval
8. Issue and Release of CCC Certificate

With a valid CCC certificate, manufacturer can then proceed to either purchase for CCC labels, or apply for permission for die stamping of the CCC mark on the approved products. It is a requirement to apply the CCC mark on approved products in order to sell in China.

Besides the Compulsory Product Certification (CCC mark), China Quality Certification Centre is also engaged in Voluntary Product Certification service (called CQC Mark certification). By using the CQC mark, the products shall be verified to conform to the requirements of the standards of quality, safety, environment and performance. Its scope involves more than 500 products. The purpose is to protect consumers’ interest in personal and property safety, to improve the product quality of domestic enterprises and increase the product competitiveness in the international market; and also to facilitate the smoother accession of foreign enterprises’ products into the domestic market.

The IECEE CB Scheme is the world's first truly international system for mutual acceptance of test reports and certificates dealing with the safety of electrical and electronic components, equipment and products. It is a multilateral agreement among participating countries and certification organizations. A manufacturer utilizing a CB test certificate issued by one of the accepted National Certification Bodies (NCBs) can obtain certification marks of the latter, within their scope of adherence, in the countries where the accepted NCBs are located.

The Scheme is essentially based on the use of international (IEC) Standards. If some members' national standards are not yet completely harmonized with IEC Standards, national differences, Special National Conditions (SNC) and Regulatory Requirements are permitted subject to formally declaring and detailing them to the IECEE Secretariat for further publication. The CB Scheme utilizes CB Test Certificates to attest that product samples have successfully passed the test conditions and are in compliance with the requirements of the relevant IEC Standard(s). When applicable, the CB Test Certificate and its associated Test Report can also include declared national differences, Special National Conditions (SNC) and Regulatory Requirements of various member countries.

The main objective of the Scheme, is to facilitate trade by promoting harmonization of the national standards with international Standards and cooperation among accepted NCBs worldwide in order to bring product manufacturers a step closer to the ideal concept of "one product, one test, one mark, where applicable'.

Under the Japanese DENAN Law (Electrical Appliance and Material Safety Law), the PSE Mark is a mandatory safety mark for all electrical products sold and used in Japan. The purpose of the Law is to prevent hazards and disturbances resulting from electrical appliances.

The DENAN law regulates more than 450 products, which are classified as Specified Products (SPs) or Non-Specified Products (NSPs). All specified products require type testing and factory test equipment inspection conducted by a METI-authorized CAB.

Factory inspection is needed once per factory/ product category. Depending upon the product, the validity period of the certificate lasts from three to seven years. A re-evaluation testing of the product will be needed at the time of the renewal of the certificate.

CQC is a Registered Conformity Assessment Body (CAB) accredited by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) to conduct product testing according to the DENAN Law and issue the PSE Mark.