3C Certificate – The Compulsory Certification of China

The 3C Certificate, or “CCC” (also called China CCC Certification) is a mandatory product certification system with the aim protecting consumer’s security through the supervision of products concerning health, hygiene, security, environment and anti-fraud.

Only after complete certification  products can be imported into China and sold in the Chinese market.

How did the 3C certificate come about?

Together with the Certification and Accreditation Board, China’s State Administration of Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine announced the implementation of “Regulations on Management of the CCC” on 3 December 2001. The original “CCIB” certification and “Great Wall CCEE”, the precursors to CCC, were thus replaced by the 3C certification, greatly simplifying foreign trade with China.

Products requiring 3C

If a product is included in the designated certification catalogue, it must obtain a CCC certificate to be imported and sold in China.

The products included in the list of those requiring a CCC mark include electrical appliances, wire and cable, switches, household appliances, audio and video equipment, telecommunications terminals, motor vehicles and automotive parts, as well as medical and security equipment. Please see our list of CCC-mandatory products for an overview of the 23 categories requiring certification.

To learn more about how to obtain CCC certification, please see our  certification process page.