Key market access procedures applicable to Hong Kong’s electrical and R&TT products
Safety certification
According to the Hong Kong Government Electrical and Mechanical Services Division (EMSD), all household electrical appliances must comply with the Electrical Safety Regulations (EPSR) and have a valid safety certification.
1. Household
2. Supply from Hong Kong (including imported, manufactured locally or intended for use outside Hong Kong)
Examples of products included in this scheme include:
– Electrical and electronic products
– Household products, such as air conditioners, ovens, refrigerators, etc.
– Toys and products for children
– Medical devices
– Industrial and commercial instruments
– Other products covered under Hong Kong product safety regulations
Certain types of household electrical appliances that are specific to the EPSR and that may pose a hazard are classified as “prescription products” and “non-prescription products.”
The following prescribed products must comply with the “Specific Safety Requirements” in addition to the “Required Safety Requirements”.
– Plugs
– Adaptors
– Lamp holders
– Flexible cords
– Extension units
– Unvented thermal storage type electric water heaters
Household appliances other than these are considered “non-prescription products” and certain additional types of electrical products have specific additional safety requirements. For example, a 110 V a.c. electrical appliance must have the following warning label:
EPSR stipulates that a “certificate of safety compliance” must be issued for electrical appliances designed for home use before reaching the market.
For “prescription products”, the following documents can be accepted as a certificate of safety compliance.
1. Declaration of conformity issued by “authorized manufacturer”
2. Certificate or test report issued by “certified certification authority”
For “non-prescription products”, the following documents can be accepted as a certificate of safety compliance.
1. Declaration of conformity issued by the manufacturer of the product
2. Declaration of conformity issued by “authorized manufacturer”
3. Certificate or test report issued by “certified certification authority”
Certified products are provided by an accredited certification body with the Hong Kong Safety Mark Certificate and are authorized to hold the following Hong Kong Safety Mark.
Hong Kong safety marks for certified products will be displayed to the license holder. The following figure shows how this identification requirement is met.
Products such as electrical appliances, lighting products, audio and video products, information technology equipment and other electronic accessories must comply with safety standards and obtain certificates that include both EMC and safety test compliance certificates.
Hong Kong safety mark is used to indicate EMC compliance.
Energy efficiency certification
Hong Kong’s Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) operates an energy efficiency labeling system for electrical products and equipment.
The government introduced the Mandatory Energy Efficiency Labeling Scheme (MEELS) through the Energy Efficiency (Product Labeling) Ordinance, which currently covers eight types of prescribed products.
– Refregerating appliances with rated the total storage volume not exceeding 500L
– Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) with the rated wattage not eexceeding 60W
– Dehumildifiers with the rated dehumidifying capacity not exceeding 35L per day
– Washing machines with the rated washing capacity not exceeding 7kg or 10kg (grace period until November 30, 2019)
– Room air conditioners including both cooling and heating performances (grace period until November 30, 2019)
– Televisions (grace period until November 30, 2019)
– Storage-type electric water heaters (grace period until November 30, 2019)
– Induction cookers (grace period until 30. 11. 2019)
MEELS in Hong Kong requires manufacturers or importers of prescribed products to be tested in accordance with CoP in laboratories certified according to the Hong Kong Laboratory Certification Scheme (“HOKLAS”) or to other countries with HOKLAS.
Prior to supplying a prescribed product in Hong Kong, the importer or local manufacturer must submit a test report and product information to EMSD, and an energy label must be affixed in the form of regulations specified in the bylaws before supplying this product to Hong Kong.
<Example of energy label (air conditioner)>
The EEL rating is classified into 5 grades based on the relative energy efficiency performance of household appliances and the 1st grade is the most efficient.
Communication certification
The supplier / manufacturer of the equipment within the scope of the technical standard shall ensure that the equipment meets the technical requirements set forth in the telecommunications authority (CA) or in the HKTEC scheme or the technical standard specified / approved in the HKCA specification.
the Hong Kong Telecommunications Authority (OFCA) operates the Hong Kong Telecommunications Equipment Evaluation and Certification (HKTEC) scheme.The Certification Body (CB) is certified under this scheme to carry out the evaluation and certification of TE and ISM equipment for TE and ISM equipment in accordance with the Telecommunications Regulations or the 32E section of a foreign certification body.
The following equipment is within the scope of the HKTEC scheme.
– Wireless microphone equipment not exempted from licensing
– Citizen Band (CB) radio equipment
– Land Mobile Radio Equipment
– Aeronautical Mobile Radio Equipment
– Fixed Link Equipment
– Industrial, scientific & medical (ISM) equipment
– 2.3GHz digital multipoint radio equipment
Radio, communications and ISM equipment are classified as either “Voluntary Certification Scheme (VCS)” or “Compulsory Certification Scheme (CCS)”.
Equipment classified under CCS must be type approved before being sold or sold in Hong Kong. Equipment that complies with the relevant technical specifications can be certified by a certification body.
Under the HKTEC scheme, manufacturers, suppliers, or dealers can attach arbitrary labels specified by CA to certified equipment to help the public identify that the equipment complies with the relevant technical specifications.
<Label example>
Label RoHS Requirements
The Hong Kong Certification Center (HKCC) has launched the RoHS certification mark in accordance with the European Electrical Directive.
The format of the RoHS certification mark is:
Examples of the electrical and electronic equipment categories covered by the RoHS Directive include:
– Large household appliances (refrigerators, washing machines, microwaves, air conditioners)
– Small household appliances (vacuum cleaners, irons, hair dryers, shavers, clocks)
– IT and Telecommunication equipment (mainframes, personal computing, facsimile, telephone)
– Consumer equipment (radio, television, Hi-Fi)
– Lighting equipment (CFLs, flow pressure sodium lamps)
– Electrical and electronic tools (drills, saws, sewing machine)
– Toys, leisure and sports equipment (electric trains or car racing sets, hand-held video game consoles)
– Automatic dispensers
Commercially available equipment should not contain lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, PBB and PBDE.