Q2 Certification News and Updates

EU – UKCA Mark Mandatory January 1st, 2023

As we outlined in a previous newsletter, the UK had announced that “goods which previously required CE marking will not need to use UKCA marking until January 2023”. With this, there are now only a few months remaining until the January 1st deadline, when UKCA marking will become mandatory. This means that any goods which were previously subject to CE Marking that are placed on the GB market (England, Wales, & Scotland) will be required to carry the UKCA mark after the effective date [products placed onto the Northern Ireland market will either carry CE Marking or the UKNI marking depending on use of a Conformity Assessment Body (CAB)]. The UKCA mark may be affixed to either the product or documentation accompanying the product until December 31st, 2025, after which marking must be affixed on the product; however, this rule does not apply for medical devices, construction products, cableways, unmanned aircraft systems, marine equipment, transportable pressure equipment, or rail products.

If you’ve any questions regarding how this may affect your product, reach out to your Ezurio (formerly Laird Connectivity) representative today!

More detailed information on the UKCA legislation and requirements can be retrieved here: Placing manufactured goods on the market in Great Britain - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Substantial Delays Experienced in Latin American Countries 

There has been an increased number of Latin American countries that are experiencing significant delays in their regulatory agency processing lead times.

Brazil only has 4 laboratories capable of certifications for WWAN products and only 3 laboratories for 5G NR. With COVID-19 still impacting staffing, and test capacity reductions in several laboratories due to increased backlogs/staffing issues, one laboratory has had an 80% reduction in capacity while another has blocked over 90%. As such, there are now only 2 WWAN and 1 5G NR laboratory operating at normal capacity for all certifications going through Brazil. If you’ve an ANATEL certification, please adjust your time for certification accordingly.

IFETEL in Mexico is also currently experiencing significant delays due to impacts from COVID-19 and backlogged certifications. Additionally, IFETEL has scheduled its annual shut-down from July 18th – 29th. If you have planned certification in Mexico, adjust your certification timetables accordingly.

Also, our certification partners have informed us that Chile continues to experience delays in its certifications resulting from internal issues at SUBTEL.

Ukraine, EAC, Russia & Belarus - Update

Regulatory authorities and conformity assessment bodies in the Ukraine are back online and operating with some delays compared to previous lead times. EAC Customs Union approvals are also possible; however, given the current economic sanctions introduced, any EAC approvals will not be issued through Russia or Belarus. Additionally, certification services for Russia and Belarus are also on hold while said sanctions are in place.

Saudi Arabia - RoHS Requirements for Small Home Electrical Appliances 

SASO, Saudi Arabia’s Standards, Metrology, and Quality Organization published its RoHS requirements last July, with the “first phase” taking effect on July 4th, 2022. These requirements are applicable to small home electrical appliances, and any products placed on the market before this date will have a one-year grace period to comply, after which they will be recalled.