Breaking barriers with the IECEE-CB scheme

A one-stop testing and certification scheme for Electrical and Electronics manufacturers looking to expand globally

"Manufacturers using the CB Scheme can potentially gain access to every CB Scheme member country without the need for expensive, duplicate testing."

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

Globalisation has made many opportunities available to manufacturers. Now more than ever before, cross-border trade has become the norm; however, those who decide to venture into the global market soon discover that there is one significant barrier to entry: the simple fact that different countries will inevitably have different testing and certification regulations.

Navigating these regulatory requirements can be a tricky affair, especially when a different language is spoken, or when foreign governmental import bodies prove to be an obstacle. Penetrating foreign markets requires patience, persistence, attention to detail, and often a local ‘man on the ground’. If you are lucky, it will be a smooth process and your product will grace new shores. If not, you may find yourself having to undergo expensive redesign and re-manufacturing – a process that, on top of being timely and costly, will not necessarily grant you entry to the next trade port.

Now imagine doing this 10, 20 times over – once for every country you intend to trade in.

To further complicate matters, regulations can and do change, often with little warning. This means that you could sink all this time, effort, and money into the cause, only to find out much later that the target was a moving one and things have changed yet again.

Situations like the above are exactly what led to the creation of IECEE Certification Body (CB) Scheme, the world’s first international system for the mutual acceptance of product safety test reports and certificates for electrical and electronic equipment, devices, and components.

What is the IECEE CB Scheme?

The CB Scheme standardises certification across multiple countries. Using internationally accepted product safety standards, the CB Scheme entrusts a global network of CB testing laboratories (CBTLs) to test products to applicable technical standards. These test results are then forwarded to national certification bodies within member countries, who can then grant access to CBTL-tested products without additional testing.

By testing your product in CBTLs, you can potentially gain entry into over 50 countries worldwide – including European Union (EU) Member States and the United States. 

This reduces the need for expensive, duplicate testing. On top of that, CB Scheme applicants are often fast-tracked for consideration by national certification bodies as they require no additional testing. This gives you global market access to the greatest number of countries with the least amount of effort or stress. Essentially, the CB certificate with national deviation can be considered your passport to entering many countries quickly, thanks to the support of our TÜV SÜD Global Market Access team.

What are the benefits of the IECEE CB schemes through TÜV SÜD?

Manufacturers using the CB Scheme can potentially gain access to every CB Scheme member country without the need for expensive, duplicate testing. Furthermore, CB Scheme applicants are often given priority consideration by NCBs since no additional testing is required.

As a global organisation intimately familiar with the IECEE CB scheme, TÜV SÜD can help companies gain access to markets around the world through its network spanning across around 50 countries and more than 100 international markets. The country solution was established based on our own certification body, third-party accredited bodies, a MoU, MRAs, and interface with regulators. Our team of specialists work with you throughout the entire product development cycle to add value and help you to deliver safe and reliable products. 

With TÜV SÜD, you can save time and access multiple markets with minimised risk.

So, how can you get your product CBTL-tested?

TÜV SÜD is an active participant of the CB Scheme, with authorised testing labs all over the globe. Our dedicated team can test electrical and electronic products under almost all of the 19 CB Scheme product categories.

We also pride ourselves on being a recognised National Certification Board under the CB Scheme, a Notified Body for various European Directives, and an OSHA-authorised Nationally Recognised Testing Laboratory (NRTL) in the USA – which means we are well-situated to deliver all of your testing and certification needs. Our team of specialists also works with you throughout the entire product development cycle to help you add value and deliver safe and reliable products in a cost-effective and time-efficient manner. Our technical professionals are also actively involved in the international community, participating in advisory boards and standards development activities on the regular.

Get in touch with us and traverse the expansive global requirements with the support of our experts.