Global trade and online retail have become more mature and convenient in recent years. The development has dramatically reduced the cost of import and export trade and retail. Therefore, many people start their businesses through this opportunity. As a popular product in recent years, small appliances have become the preferred product category for many start-up brands. There are some entrepreneurs in the import, export, and retail business of small appliances for the first time. For these new small home appliance industry entrepreneurs, there is an important thing must know before the start of procurement.

Before you purchase, you must confirm the product-related certification from your small appliance OEM manufacturer. Countries around the world have different standards and certification needs for electrical products. Only if the products have complete certifications which meet the target market's requirements can your business not waste the early investment due to non-compliant of the goods.

Many certifications are required in different countries for small appliances, while some need additional compliance statements and information registration. Here, we will introduce some certification systems and basic certification needs of small household appliances in the North American and European markets.

The North American and European markets are the world's most purchasing power markets and one of the most important target markets for many small appliance traders. At the same time, they are also one of the most important markets for certification. Therefore, for small home appliance entrepreneurs whose targets are these two markets, having a complete certification is the prerequisite for smoothly selling products.

North American

UL certification is one of the most well-known certification standards in the world. It is a certification system of Underwriters' Laboratories and has a high degree of recognition in the US market. UL is a voluntary certification for the safety of products and materials. The scope of UL certification is very wide. From large mechanical equipment to component materials, UL certification can be applied.

FCC certification is the certification of the US government's US Federal Communications Commission. The United States has required standards for products that might contribute to electromagnetic interference in order to reduce the level of radio frequency (rf) interference between electronic devices. Any electronic device or piece of equipment that is sold in the US must not compromise the safety of the American public or interfere with other electronic products. All electronic products enter the US market and must be certified FCC, which is a compulsory requirement.

ISED certification is the original IC certification. IC is the abbreviation of Industry Canada. As a government agency, it stipulates the testing standards for analog and digital terminal equipment. It is responsible for the certification of electronic and electrical products entering the Canadian market. It stipulates that imported electronic products must pass the EMC certification. Its responsible products are roughly broadcast and television equipment, information technology equipment, radio equipment, telecommunications equipment, engineering medical equipment, etc. Similar to the US FCC, IC currently only limits electromagnetic interference.

MET certification's full name is Maryland Electrical Testing. It is suitable for the US and Canadian markets. The scope of this certification includes audio and video products, industrial control products, lighting fixtures, small appliances, communications products, medical products, electric tools, testing equipment, etc.

In addition to the above, there are various certification systems in North America suitable for electronic products, including ETL, CTUVUS, DOE, etc. For most small appliances, most of the certifications except FCC and ISED are not mandatory. You can choose certification systems for your product according to specific regulations and corresponding platform needs.

It should be noted that there is no uniform standard for all small appliances. For some products, there will be other compliance needs. For example, ultraviolet sterilization disinfection products such as UV Air disinfection machine are classified as pesticide equipment control categories in US regulations, and manufacturers must register and get an EPA establishment number before selling in the United States.

European

CE certification is a kind of security certification in Europe. Usually, we can also directly refer to the CE marking. The CE marking is defined as the European Union's (EU) mandatory conformity marking for regulating the goods sold within the European Economic Area (EEA) since 1985. The CE marking represents a manufacturer's declaration that products comply with the EU's New Approach Directives. It is also regarded as a passport that manufacturers open and enter the European market. CE means French"conformité européenne".

The UKCA certification (UK Conformity Assessed) mark is the British product certification signed after Brexit. The products sold in the market of Great Britain (England, Wales, and Scotland) must obtain UKCA certification. It will replace the EU CE marking requirements. It covers most of the products that need to be certified before. In Northern Ireland, which remains aligned with the European Single Market due to the Northern Ireland Protocol, CE marking continues to be required.

RoHS stands for Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive, and impacts the entire electronics industry and many electrical products as well. The original RoHS, also known as Directive 2002/95/EC, originated in the European Union in 2002 and restricts the use of six hazardous materials found in electrical and electronic products. All applicable products in the EU market since July 1, 2006 must pass RoHS compliance. It is mainly used to regulate the material and process standards of electronic and electrical products, making it more conducive to human health and environmental protection.

Generally speaking, as long as electronic products have passed these compulsory certifications, they will be allowed to sell in the European market. However, some customers will also certify the product through other certification systems, such as GS certification, according to their needs to obtain more market recognition.

It is not complicated in general. Generally speaking, if having the above certifications, your small appliance products have obtained access permits for the corresponding market. But one thing to note is that the certification standards for digital products are different from home appliances. For example, the ultrasonic cleaning machine and its accessories need to get the certification standards for home appliances. If you ignore this when you purchase, you may cause unnecessary losses in the future.

Finally, some sales platforms also have special certification needs. Therefore, it is recommended that you must communicate more with suppliers, platform parties, and market management before sales to understand the relevant certification and regulatory needs.