Certification is where smart-electrical importers lose the most time and money, usually because someone ordered CE-marked goods for a market that needs something else. This guide maps the markings to the markets for switches, breakers and enclosures, and explains what changes when a factory certifies product under your own brand.
The map: market to marking
- European Union: CE marking, self-declared for most low-voltage products under the Low Voltage Directive (2014/35/EU) and EMC Directive. Backed by EN 60669 / EN 60898 type-test reports. RoHS applies to the materials.
- United Kingdom: UKCA marking post-Brexit; CE is still accepted for many categories during transition periods, but UKCA is the safe long-term answer and is required for goods placed on the GB market.
- United States and Canada: no self-declaration — a Nationally Recognised Testing Laboratory (UL, ETL, Intertek) certifies the product and follows up with factory inspections. ETL Mark to UL standards is the common factory-direct route and is accepted across North America.
- Australia and New Zealand: RCM marking; plug-in devices need recognised electrical safety approval.
What CE actually means — and does not
CE is the manufacturer's declaration that the product meets EU requirements, supported by test reports. It is not a quality label and not a third-party approval. The report behind it matters more than the mark: when you compare quotes, ask which standard the type test was run against (EN 60669-1 for switches, EN 60898 for breakers, EN 62208 for distribution enclosures) and whether the report bears your model numbers. Our quality and certification page lists the reports we hold, and every product page states its certification scope.
IP ratings are a separate test
IP65 and IP68 come from IEC 60529 testing and are independent of electrical certification. A CE-marked switch inside an IP68 box does not make the assembly IP68 — the box is rated, the assembly is not, unless the complete unit was tested. For outdoor assemblies we recommend using a suitably rated enclosure and mounting the switching device inside — the enclosure carries its own rating, independent of the switch inside it.
OEM branding and certificates
Under your brand, the type-test reports can be reissued listing your model names, provided the product is unchanged. Change the housing colour, the rating label or the internal construction and the report no longer covers the product — re-documentation is required. This is item 3 in our OEM checklist for a reason: it is the most common cause of customs disputes. For North America, budget for the NRTL's follow-up inspection program at your side or ours before you plan the first container.
Practical ordering rules
- Confirm the destination market and the import channel (direct to you, to a distributor, to an end user) before the quotation, not after production.
- Ask for the certificate numbers and verify them in the issuing body's database — takes ten minutes, saves containers.
- If your market is not on this map, ask us anyway: we ship to 120+ countries and have dealt with most registration schemes.
Tell us the destination country and product category, and we will confirm the required marking and the reports we can supply. Start the confirmation here.