Certifications for Lithium Battery Export
For the import and export of lithium batteries, each country has similar or different standards and regulations. Below we will introduce some common battery certificates with wide applicability.
KC certification
Applicable to South Korea, the test standard is KC62133. The KC certification of the battery depends on whether the battery has been certified by KC or CB.
UN38. 3 certification
Almost fitting for the whole world, it is a safety and performance test. In air transport, any shipping package containing lithium batteries, whether it is a small button battery, a battery installed on a device, or a battery packed with a device, needs to be tested for UN38. 3 and with an air transport identification report. So that they can pass the air inspection. The certification cycle ranges from a few days to a month (mainly based on the capacity of the product and the test of the previous conditions).
So how to choose a certification body to apply for the certification? In fact, as long as it meets the requirements of the laboratory IEC17025, and has relevant UN38. 3 testing equipment and strong technical guidance, it can conduct UN38. 3 tests and issue UN38. 3 test reports.
Note: The final air transport identification report must be reviewed and issued by a dangerous goods identification agency directly authorized by the Civil Aviation Administration of China. The difference between UNDOT (UND38. 3) and other certifications is that the effects of other certifications are reflected in the terminal sales market. The test effect of UNDOT is reflected in the operation process.
IEC 62133 certification
IEC 62133 is the most important international standard for lithium-ion batteries in the world, which is also an important basis for IECEE-CB certification. At present, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, India and other countries have adopted IEC 62133 to formulate their own national standards. And these standards have become an important basis for market access in those countries.
The latest version of IEC 62133 was released on February 7, 2017. IEC 62133 is under the jurisdiction of IEC/SC21A, specifically formulated by WG4. The first edition was released in 2002, and the second edition was released in 2012.
Battery MSDS/SDS report
Many customers have encountered such problems. When shipping products with batteries, the freight forwarding company or shipping company requests them to provide MSDS reports. Customers who have never apply for MSDS will have doubts. What is MSDS? Why apply for MSDS? How to apply for MSDS? Who should apply for MSDS? These are all troubling questions.
In fact, MSDS can be written by the manufacturer in accordance with the relevant rules. However, in order to ensure the accuracy and standardization of the report, it is possible to apply to a professional organization for compilation.
CE certification
The CE certification is fit for the European Union region, which is divided into safety and performance testing. The certification period ranges from a few days to a year. Compared with UL certification, CE certification has a relatively higher probability of passing (safety). In our opinion, the large size of the EU member states has attracted most manufacturers to carry out CE certification. After all, the prices in Europe, America and North America are relatively much better than those in China. But because of the huge size of the European Union, the speed at which its standards are updated is surprising. As a result, many manufacturers have been in a state of confusion, for it seems difficult to keep up with the update of standards.
CE certification is a self-declaration. If the manufacturer has the ability to test, it is completely possible to affix a CE conformity label on its products to sell in Europe. However, if it is not qualified in the random inspection in the EU market, it will be recalled (very serious fine). Therefore, many domestic manufacturers entrust a third party to conduct testing, which largely avoids the risk of recall.
EU Battery Directive
In 2003, Europe issued the RoHS and WEEE directives one after another, which caused an uproar among electrical appliance manufacturers in various countries, and everyone rushed to learn about the two directives. But many people don’t know that these two directives are not suitable for “battery”. There is a special directive for battery, that is the Battery Directive 2006/66/EC.
The EU battery directive and RoHS are parallel directives suitable for different products. But many battery manufacturers firmly believe in “SGS certification” and “RoHS”,which is a fundamental mistake!
SGS is only a certification body in Europe, and the RoHS directive is not suitable for batteries.
Therefore, the EU Battery Directive is the correct title. Everyone should pay attention to the “EU Battery Directive” instead of other directives. Otherwise it will easily lead to a lot of unnecessary troubles. In addition, if the product needs to be used as an e-commerce company, Amazon Germany now requires that the product must be made of WEEE before it can be put on the shelves.
UL certification
The scope of application is in North America, mainly for safety testing. The certification period is usually about 2 months (lead-acid batteries are slightly shorter). The reason why UL certification is popular is because:
In North America, if there’re adverse consequences due to product quality problems after purchasing (such as harming consumer rights), consumers can complain to the seller. And with products having passed the UL certification, seller can easily get compensation from the insurance company. Therefore, products through UL are easy to sell in North America largely because of this reason.
PSE certification
The scope of application is in Japan, mainly for safety and performance testing. There are currently two standards on the market, one is citing IEC60950, and the other is citing IEC62133.
Comparison：
- The former is an information product standard, and the latter is an international proprietary standard for batteries.
- The former will be gradually replaced by the latter. The former has a shorter certification cycle, which takes only two weeks. While the latter has a longer certification cycle, which takes 1-2 months.
The price difference mainly depends on what kind of PSE (rhombic or circular) is applied for and what standard is used.
“Specific electrical appliances and materials” products entering the Japanese market must obtain third-party certification approved by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and be marked with the PSE diamond logo.
At present, due to cost considerations, lithium power plants choose circular lithium batteries, unless foreign customers request to make prismatic lithium batteries.
Both types are fit for lithium batteries. At present, due to cost considerations, lithium power plants choose circular lithium batteries, unless foreign customers request to make prismatic lithium batteries.