Using the IECEE CB Scheme to help export your products

Electrical products

I get asked over and over how we can help manufacturers export their electrical products to new markets and although we obviously can't help with physically transporting the products, we can help to get through some of the legislation, and dare I say red tape, with relative ease...

Quite often the solution that I will suggest to the person i’m in discussion with is by accessing and using the IECEE CB (Certification Bodies) Scheme. The CB scheme is an international programme of mutual recognition, operated by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) specifically for electrical products such as household appliances, lighting and office equipment amongst many other types of product.

The scheme works by mutual acceptance of member bodies test work and certificates which, in general, means a system that allows you to test your product once and that one test will provide the market access to the other countries within the scheme. There may be a number of "national differences" such as voltage differences that need to be covered, however the ability to conduct the certification programme with an organization down the road means that any changes can easily be made if needed.

There are some 53 countries and 472 CB test laboratories (at last count) around the globe that actively engage and operate within the scheme, meaning the chance that the country you wish to export to will be included is extremely high.

On 12 July we are hosting a free webinar "The CB Scheme - a practical guide for your business" hosted by our Certification Manager for Electric and Gas, Greg Childs. The webinar will provide more detail on the CB scheme and the benefits to your organization. For more information and to register please click here.

Jason McGarr