CE marking is the manufacturer's declaration that a product meets the EU laws that apply to it, such as the Toy Safety Directive, the Low Voltage Directive or the Radio Equipment Directive. When you import from China, you as the EU importer must verify that the CE marking is backed by real tests and documentation, add your own contact details, and keep the file for 10 years. Products outside CE laws must still meet the General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR), which has applied since 13 December 2024.
Key takeaways
- CE marking applies only to products covered by EU harmonisation legislation; adding a CE mark to products outside that scope is not allowed.
- The EU importer must check conformity before placing products on the market, label its name and postal and electronic address, and keep technical documentation for 10 years.
- Since 13 December 2024, the GPSR covers all consumer products not fully covered by specific EU rules and requires an EU-based responsible economic operator.
- Online listings must show the manufacturer's details, the EU responsible person when the manufacturer is outside the EU, product identifiers and warnings.
- Chinese "CE certificates" are often test reports for a different model or are not genuine; always check the lab, the model and the standards.
- New rules are coming: the Machinery Regulation applies from 20 January 2027, and the new Toy Safety Regulation, in force since 1 January 2026, will generally apply from 1 August 2030 with a digital product passport.
What is CE marking and when is it required?
CE marking is mandatory for product groups covered by EU harmonisation legislation that provides for it. The most relevant for importers from China:
| Product type | Main EU rules | Typical standards or tests |
|---|
| Toys for under 14s | Toy Safety Directive 2009/48/EC (Regulation 2025/2509 from 2030) | EN 71 series |
| Electrical goods 50-1,000 V AC | Low Voltage Directive 2014/35/EU | EN 60335, EN 62368 |
| Electronics | EMC Directive 2014/30/EU | EMC emissions and immunity |
| Wireless devices (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi) | Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU | Radio, EMC, safety, cybersecurity for some devices |
| Electrical and electronic equipment | RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU | Restricted substances (lead, cadmium, some phthalates) |
| Machinery | Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC (Regulation 2023/1230 from 20 January 2027) | EN ISO 12100 and product standards |
| Personal protective equipment | PPE Regulation 2016/425 | Notified body certificate for most categories |
| Medical devices | MDR 2017/745 | Notified body for most classes |
Some products need several laws at once: a Bluetooth children's toy can fall under the Toy Safety Directive, the Radio Equipment Directive and RoHS. Other important non-CE rules include REACH (chemicals, including restricted substances in textiles and plastics), the Batteries Regulation, food-contact materials rules, textile labelling and WEEE and packaging take-back obligations.
What are the importer's legal obligations?
Under EU product legislation and the GPSR, the importer is not just a buyer; it is an economic operator with its own legal duties:
- Verify before placing on the market: the manufacturer has carried out the conformity assessment, drawn up technical documentation, affixed CE marking where required and provided instructions and safety information.
- Label your details: your name, registered trade name or trademark, and a postal and electronic address on the product, or if impossible on the packaging or accompanying document.
- Provide instructions and warnings in the language(s) of the country where the product is sold, French for France.
- Keep documentation: a copy of the EU Declaration of Conformity and access to the technical documentation for 10 years.
- Handle complaints and accidents: check that complaint channels work, keep a register where required, and report accidents and dangerous products to authorities through the Safety Business Gateway.
- Act on non-compliance: stop sales, inform authorities and organise withdrawal or recall if a product presents a risk.
- Ensure storage and transport do not affect compliance.
What does the GPSR change for importers from China?
The General Product Safety Regulation (EU) 2023/988 replaced the old General Product Safety Directive on 13 December 2024. Key points for SMEs importing from China:
- EU responsible person. A product covered by the GPSR can be placed on the EU market only if there is an economic operator established in the EU responsible for it: the manufacturer, an importer, an authorised representative or a fulfilment service provider. When you import, this is usually you.
- Internal risk analysis. Manufacturers must perform a risk analysis and draw up technical documentation; importers check it exists.
- Product identification. Products need a type, batch or serial number and the manufacturer's details.
- Online sales information. Listings on your Shopify store, Amazon or other marketplaces must display the manufacturer's name and postal and electronic address, the EU responsible person's details if the manufacturer is outside the EU, information identifying the product including an image, and any warnings or safety information.
- Marketplace cooperation. Platforms must register with Safety Gate and remove dangerous listings quickly when ordered.
- Accident reporting. Accidents caused by a product must be notified to authorities without delay.
- Recalls. Recall notices must follow a set format, and consumers are entitled to a remedy.
Marketplaces such as Amazon now request GPSR information for each listing, and listings without it can be suppressed. For private label sellers, see our guide on private label products from China.
How to check a Chinese supplier's CE documents in 6 steps
- Ask for the EU Declaration of Conformity (DoC), not a "CE certificate". The DoC must name the manufacturer, the exact model, the applicable EU laws and the harmonised standards used, and be signed.
- Request the full test reports, not a one-page summary. Check that the model numbers, product photos and ratings match your product exactly.
- Verify the laboratory. Reputable labs include SGS, TUV, Intertek, Bureau Veritas and others; contact the lab or use its online verification to confirm the report number.
- Check standard versions and dates. Reports based on withdrawn standards or several years old may not reflect current requirements.
- Check notified body involvement where required (for example most PPE, some machinery, many medical devices) in the EU NANDO database. Be wary of "certificates of compliance" issued by unknown bodies; voluntary attestations are not CE certificates.
- Test independently when risk is high. For toys, children's products, electrical goods and items in contact with skin or food, commission your own tests in an accredited lab, ideally on production samples.
Remember that the CE mark itself must follow the official proportions, be at least 5 mm high in most cases, and be visible, legible and indelible. The "China Export" logo, with letters spaced closer together, is a known source of confusion.
How much does compliance cost and how long does it take?
| Item | Typical cost range | Typical lead time |
|---|
| Basic chemical tests (REACH, phthalates) per material | A few hundred euros | 1-2 weeks |
| EN 71 toy tests (mechanical, flammability, chemical) | About 500-2,500 euros | 1-3 weeks |
| LVD and EMC tests for a simple electrical appliance | About 1,000-4,000 euros | 2-4 weeks |
| Radio Equipment Directive tests | About 2,000-8,000 euros | 3-6 weeks |
| Notified body certification (PPE, some machinery) | Several thousand euros | Several weeks to months |
| GPSR documentation and labelling review | Internal time or a consultant | 1-2 weeks |
Ranges vary by product complexity and lab. Include them in your landed cost, spread over the expected volume of the product family.
What happens with non-compliant products?
- At the border: customs and market surveillance authorities can suspend release of goods and refuse import when products present a serious risk or lack required markings and documents. Products may be destroyed at the importer's cost.
- On the market: authorities can order withdrawals and recalls, and publish alerts on Safety Gate, the EU rapid alert system for dangerous non-food products. Toys, electrical appliances and cosmetics from various origins regularly appear in its alerts.
- Online: marketplaces must remove dangerous listings when ordered.
- Liability: under EU product liability rules, the importer can be liable for damage caused by a defective product made outside the EU.
Upcoming changes to watch
- Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 replaces the Machinery Directive from 20 January 2027.
- Toy Safety Regulation (EU) 2025/2509 entered into force on 1 January 2026 and will generally apply from 1 August 2030, introducing a digital product passport accessible via a data carrier such as a QR code; importers will have to check it exists.
- Ecodesign and digital product passports are being rolled out progressively for other product groups.
- EU Customs Reform, approved in September 2026, will strengthen data sharing between customs and market surveillance.
How Cina helps
Cina's supplier directory helps you shortlist factories that already export to Europe, a useful sign that they understand CE documentation. The supplier verification and sourcing guides in Cina resources include a compliance document checklist to send to suppliers before ordering. If you need inspections or sample testing coordinated in China, sourcing agents and warehouses in China listed on Cina can help collect production samples. See also quality inspection in China using AQL.
Conclusion
CE marking is not a stamp you buy from a supplier; it is the visible end of a compliance process the importer must be able to defend. Identify the laws that apply to your product, check the Declaration of Conformity and test reports against your exact model, add your EU details and GPSR information to products and listings, and keep the file for 10 years. Doing this before production is much cheaper than a blocked shipment or a recall. For the full import process, read how to import from China step by step.
