EAC, TISI or CE: Which Certificate Does Your Product Actually Need
EAC, TISI or CE for imports from China: how to tell which certificate you need from the destination country and HS code, what to check at the factory, and where money is lost.
A conformity certificate is the document proving a product meets the mandatory requirements of the destination country. A Chinese factory will almost always say “we have a certificate”, but it is usually not the one you need: it was issued for another market, for another model, or it is simply a self-declaration. This article is for buyers ordering from one container up who want to know in advance which document to request, when to order it and where money gets lost. For a general overview of standards, see CE, RoHS, TISI and ESMA and certificates and standards for imports. Here we focus on the selection logic.
Three questions that decide which certificate you need
Don’t start with “which certificate is best”. Start with three questions:
- Where are we importing? The destination country, not the place of manufacture, sets the requirements. If the goods go to Thailand, the EAEU and Europe, you will need three sets of documents.
- What is the product and its code? The HS code determines whether the product is on the regulated list. Tile, furniture, lighting and cable are regulated differently.
- Who is the applicant? In most systems the document is issued to a party in the destination country or an authorized representative, not to the Chinese factory.
EAC, TISI, CE: what stands behind each
| Mark | Where it applies | Type of confirmation | Who is usually responsible |
|---|---|---|---|
| EAC | EAEU countries | Certificate or declaration under a technical regulation | EAEU importer |
| CE | EU and EEA | Manufacturer self-declaration (for some categories, with a notified body) | Manufacturer or EU importer |
| TISI (“mok.” mark) | Thailand | License and test reports for regulated categories | Importer in Thailand |
The key difference is who does the confirming. CE is most often filled in by the manufacturer itself, so the mark on a product does not mean anyone independent has checked it. EAC and TISI are stricter: they require testing and a document tied to the applicant.
What is regulated in practice
In the EAEU, most household categories fall under technical regulations: low-voltage equipment (TR CU 004/2011), electromagnetic compatibility (TR CU 020/2011), furniture (TR CU 025/2012), light-industry products (TR CU 017/2011). The full list is on the EEC page. In Thailand the most critical categories are electrical goods, some construction materials and appliances: TISI is checked at customs, and without the right document the shipment simply sits. In the EU the main load falls on electrical goods, toys, protective equipment and RoHS-scope equipment.
Furniture, decor and textiles without electronics generally pass more easily, while lighting, smart electrics, chargers and anything with a battery is the highest-risk zone. Batteries also have separate transport rules: UN38.3 and MSDS.
Where money gets lost
- A certificate that “exists”. The factory sends a file for a different model or market. Check the model, applicant, validity and country.
- CE as a picture. The mark is printed on the box, but there is no declaration. Ask for the Declaration of Conformity and test reports with numbers.
- Ordering the document after shipment. Testing and filing take weeks while the container sits and accrues charges, see demurrage and detention.
- Component swaps. The factory changed the power supply or a material, and the report no longer covers the production batch.
- A wrong code. If the code is wrong, the document is issued for the wrong category. The duty is distorted too.
Mini-case: lighting for a hotel
A client was importing LED light fixtures for a hotel into Thailand. The factory sent a CE declaration and assured them the “certificate is there”. But for this regulated category customs required a TISI document, and testing had to be redone on the exact model. The container sat for more than two weeks while reports were prepared. The goods themselves were fine: time and storage fees were lost because the documents question was asked after shipment rather than before production. Had the code and regulation been checked at the sample stage, the filing time would have been built into the schedule.
How to build certification into the sourcing process
- When choosing a product, determine its code and check whether it is regulated in the destination country.
- Ask the factory for existing reports and declarations and verify the model and validity. More on this in how to verify a supplier in China.
- If there is no document for your market, order sample testing before the series starts.
- State in the contract that documents are part of the delivery and the balance is paid against them.
- Confirm at the pre-shipment inspection that the batch matches the configuration that was tested.
Requirements and lists change, so always confirm the final position with a broker or certification body in the destination country. Duty and VAT also depend on the destination.
Want to know before ordering which documents your product needs? Send us the items and destination country and we will estimate sourcing, logistics and clearance for free, with our commission fixed at 10% of the order value. Write to orders@dreamviewchina.com or on Telegram t.me/dreamviewchina.
Frequently asked questions
Which certificate do I need when importing from China: EAC, CE or TISI?
It depends on the country you import into, not where the goods are made. EAC applies in the EAEU, CE in the EU, and TISI to regulated categories in Thailand. The same light fixture can need three different document sets if you ship it to three markets.
Does a CE mark from a Chinese factory guarantee compliance?
No. CE is the manufacturer's self-declaration, not an independent quality mark. For risky categories (electrical, toys, protective equipment) ask for the declaration of conformity, the list of applied standards and test reports with a number and date, not just a logo on the box.
How do I know whether my product requires mandatory certification?
Determine the HS code and check it against the list of regulated products in the destination country. The code drives both duty and certification, so a wrong code leads to wrong documents. Final confirmation should come from a local broker or certification body.
Can I use the factory's certificate to import into my country?
Usually not. A certificate is issued for a specific applicant, model and country. A Chinese test report can often serve as a basis, but the filing is made by the applicant in the destination country: the importer or an authorized representative.
What happens if the cargo arrives without the required certificate?
Customs will either hold the goods or release them on condition that documents are supplied later, while the container racks up storage and demurrage. In the worst case the shipment is returned or destroyed at the importer's expense.
Should certification be ordered before or after production?
Before the batch starts. The sample must be tested in the configuration that goes into series production, otherwise any change of material or component invalidates the report. Build the lead time into the schedule and tie the final payment to receiving the documents.
Sources
- European Commission — CE marking(single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu)
- EEC — Technical regulations of the Customs Union and EAEU(eec.eaeunion.org)
- TISI — Thai Industrial Standards Institute(tisi.go.th)
- WCO — Harmonized System(wcoomd.org)