On January 31, 2020, the Brexit Agreement of the United Kingdom was approved and officially entered into force. After nearly 2 years of transition, from January 1, 2022, the UK will not recognize the CE mark, and the UKCA mark has become the only access mark for export to the UK market.

UKCA, the full name of United Kingdom Conformity Assessed, is a new product certification launched after the United Kingdom leaves the European Union. The electrical and electronic products entering the UK market need to pass the standard test under the UK regulations, obtain the UKCA certification, and mark the product with the UKCA mark to replace the use of the EU CE mark in the UK market.

On September 1, 2020, the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy published guidance on the use of the UKCA logo. From January 1, 2021, the UKCA logo will be used on products placed in the Great Britain (Great Britain, referred to as "GB", including England, Wales and Scotland, excluding Northern Ireland) market. From January 1, 2022, UKCA will completely replace the original CE certification.

UKCA applicable products

The UKCA mark covers most products currently regulated by the CE mark as well as aerosol products, including: toy safety, recreational boats and personal watercraft, simple pressure vessels, electromagnetic compatibility, non-automatic weighing instruments, measuring instruments, elevators and lifting equipment, explosion-proof products, Radio equipment, pressure equipment, personal protective equipment, gas appliances, machinery, outdoor noise, eco-design, aerosols, low voltage appliances and hazardous substances restrictions.

Products covered by the UKCA mark, but with some special rules: such as medical equipment, rail interoperability, construction products and civilian explosives.

UKCA certification requirements

UKCA certification is a complete safety system, not just sample inspection.

To be certified by UKCA, it is necessary to ensure that the entire effective service life of the product from design, production, packaging, instructions to transport and sale, as well as recycling after use meets the basic requirements of the UK's relevant health, safety and environmental laws and regulations, and to ensure that the product is always User and environment safety.

Therefore, to be accredited by UKCA, four requirements are generally met:

• Before being put into the UK, the product will be affixed with the UKCA certification mark;
• After being placed in the UK, Technical Files must be stored in the UK for inspection by supervisory agencies at any time;
• Remedial measures must be taken if a product is found that does not meet the requirements of UKCA, or if there is an accident durig use but the UKCA certification label has been affixed;
• If the UKCA certification label has been affixed to the UK, if the relevant laws in the UK are changed or changed, the subsequent production of similar models must also be changed or amended accordingly in order to comply with the new UK legal requirements.
• The UKCA certification fee standard is around 1500-8500RMB, and an accurate quotation can be obtained only after the product is confirmed according to the standard. The general certification cycle is 5-7 working days.

UKCA certification process

The UKCA certification process includes:

• The applicant fills in the application form, provides pictures and a list of materials, and determines the directives and harmonized standards that the product conforms to;
• Determine the detailed requirements to which the product should conform;
• Determine the test sample;
• testing products and verifying their compliance;
• Drafting and maintaining technical documents required by the Directive;
• After the test is passed, the report is completed, the project is completed, the UKCA certification report is issued, the UKCA logo is affixed, and the EC declaration of conformity is made.

UKCA logo affixing rules

Until 1 January 2023, for most products (except those subject to special rules), the UKCA mark can be affixed to the product's label or accompanying documents. From 1 January 2023, the UKCA mark must be affixed directly to products in most cases.

Specific requirements are as follows:

• The UKCA logo must be affixed to the product by the manufacturer or its authorized representative (where permitted by law);
• When affixing the UKCA mark, the manufacturer assumes full responsibility for whether the product complies with the requirements of relevant regulations;
• Only use the UKCA mark to demonstrate that the product complies with relevant UK law;
• Not to provide to third parties any sign or mark that may misinterpret the meaning or form of the UKCA mark;
• Not affix other marks on the product that affect the visibility, legibility or meaning of the UKCA mark;
• Unless expressly required by law, the UKCA mark shall not be affixed to products.

Manufacturers must also ensure that:

• If the size of the logo is reduced or enlarged, the relevant proportions of the letters of the UKCA logo shall be observed;
• The height of the UKCA mark shall be at least 5mm, unless a different minimum size is specified in the relevant regulations;
• The UKCA logo must be clearly visible.

If you have any requirements or any kind of query regarding the industrial or residential power solutions for your desired applications, feel free to communicate with our dedicated team at any time at marketing@everexceed.com.