Are you looking for new markets right now? How do you ensure your products comply with the requirements of a particular market beyond the UK?

Well, product certification markings can demonstrate that a product or service meets local legal requirements, and inspires trust and confidence in buyers.

Getting them right is an essential first step in getting on the export ladder.

Here are some of the markings (and the certification criteria behind them) that are useful to know:

EU and EEA

CE

The letters ‘CE’ appear on many products that are traded on the single market in the European Economic Area (EEA). It covers access to the 27 EU member states plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

The CE marking is required for many products because it:

• shows that the manufacturer has checked these products meet EU safety, health or environmental requirements

• is an indicator of a product’s compliance with EU legislation

• allows the free movement of products within the European market

Use this six-step process when obtaining CE markings:

• Identify CE marking Regulations or Directives that apply to your product

• Identify the essential requirements that apply to your product

• Determine whether you need a Notified Body

• Understand the conformity assessment procedures that apply to your product

• Collate a technical file that contains information to demonstrate how you conform to the requirements

• Produce a Declaration of Conformity and affix the CE marking to the product

Not all products must bear the CE marking. Only those product categories subject to specific legislation are required to be CE marked. If there is no such requirement, the CE marking must not be affixed. Find out which products require a CE marking here.

(Note: The UKCA marking (used for products being placed on the market in England, Scotland and Wales) is not recognised on the EU market. Find out more about UKCA marking here.)

Other European Markings

Other markings can help with access to the European market:

Keymark is a voluntary European certification mark demonstrating compliance with the European Standard (EN). It is owned by CEN, the European Committee for Standardization, and CENELEC, the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization. Egs of products covered:

• Ceramic tiles

• Clay pipes

• Fire extinguishers

• Heat pumps

• Thermal insulation products for buildings and industrial applications

• Thermostatic radiator valves

• Solar thermal products

RADMAC is a voluntary certification scheme for radiators and convectors. It goes beyond the minimum requirements of CE marking (you would need to have CE marking as well). RADMAC currently consists of five major certification bodies: BSI, DIN CERTCO, AFNOR, AENOR and RAL. If you hold at least one of the voluntary certification marks (e.g., BSI Kitemark), you can use the RADMAC programme to recognize all certification marks within the programme without having to perform additional tests and inspections for each mark separately.

ENEC The European Norms Electrical Certification mark is a European certification mark for lighting, light fittings, and electrical equipment, which demonstrates conformity with European safety standards

UAE

ESMA Certification

ESMA is the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology, which operates conformity assessment schemes for market access in the United Arab Emirates (UAE): the Emirates Conformity Assessment Scheme (ECAS) and Emirates Quality Mark (EQM).

Obtaining ESMA certification is often a prerequisite for accessing the UAE market.

To use the markings, you need to use an ESMA-approved third party. The markings are required for certain categories of product like low-voltage equipment and appliances, PPE, and electrical water heaters.

UAE Certificate of Compliance

The UAE Civil Defense requires a certificate of compliance for certain products, particularly in relation to fire and life safety, before they can be placed onto the market.

Certificates of compliance are issued by UAE Civil Defense approved certification bodies, such as BSI, TUV Rheinland and UL Solutions

The Gulf States

Gulf Conformity Mark

Also known as the G-Mark, this certification mark is designed to ensure the quality and safety of products placed on the market of member states of the Gulf Co-operation Council, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, and Oman.

For certification, products fall into one of two lists; one list requires a quality management system such as ISO 9001 in place and a written Declaration of Conformity - a self-declaration process.

The other list requires an organization to use a Notified Body appointed by the Gulf Standardization Organization, which carries out a technical review to verify that the product meets the relevant requirements. More details here.

Saudi Arabia

SASO

SASO is the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization. It helps to ensure that products exported to Saudi Arabia comply with applicable Saudi Technical Regulations and Standards.

Regulated products follow a two-stage process comprising a Product Certificate of Conformity (PCOC) and then a Shipment Certificate of Conformity (SCOC). A PCOC is issued in the country of origin by a SASO-approved certification body, and must be attached to documentation for customs clearance to be achieved. There is also an online certification platform, known as SABER.

Australia and New Zealand

BSI Benchmark

The Benchmark is a globally applicable certification mark, with a specific high presence and level of trust in the Australian and New Zealand market.

Benchmark is a popular compliance mark in several product categories including Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), fenestration, plywood, insulation and storage tanks, construction and building material, fire suppression and detection systems and steel structures.

Find out more about BSI Benchmark here.

Australian/New Zealand Gas Safety Certification (AGS)

This conformity assessment scheme certifies gas components and appliances against Australian and New Zealand standards to ensure they comply with local legislation and requirements.

If the required standards are met, a certification certificate will enable the exporter to use the Gas Compliance Mark and AGS logo. More details here.

Global markets

IECEE CB Certification scheme and IECQ

Established by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), IECQ is a global certification and approval Programme for electrical and electronic equipment, associated materials, assemblies, and processes. The IECEE CB scheme is for manufacturers wanting to certify the safety of their electrical products and export to multiple global markets. Over 50 countries including the US, Australia, Germany, China, South Africa, India, Japan and the UK participate.

Find out more about the IECEE scheme here.

BSI Kitemark Certification

This marking was created by BSI more than 100 years ago and is recognized by many governments around the world. Find out more here.

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