1. Introduction to certification

GCC is the English abbreviation of Gulf Cooperation Council. The Gulf Cooperation Council was established in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on May 25, 1981. Its current member states are Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, the Sultanate of Oman, the Kingdom of Bahrain, and the Republic of Yemen. The GCC General Secretariat is located in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. It is an important economic organization in the Middle East.

GCC mark certification is a market access certificate for products entering GCC member states.

2. Introduction to GC mark certification

Since July 1, 2016, the technical regulations of low-voltage electrical equipment and supplies in Gulf countries have officially come into effect and GCC certification requirements are mandatory for some products. After the implementation of this regulation, low-voltage electrical equipment must meet the safety and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) requirements of the technical regulations and be affixed with the GC mark before it can be sold in member countries of the Gulf Standardization Organization (GSO). Some controlled products must be approved by a third party authorized by GSO. Only after the certification body has certified and registered with GSO can the GC mark be affixed.

On November 14, 2016, the Gulf Cooperation Council Standardization Organization (hereinafter referred to as GSO) officially released the latest usage rules of the GSO Qualified Traceability Mark (GCTS).

GSO ConformityTracking Symbol refers to a traceability symbol generated by the system after registration on the GSO certificate traceability system. It consists of two parts: the GC logo and a traceable QR code. Below the logo is a 4-digit certification body number and registration serial number.

The rules for the use of qualified traceability marks released this time further clarify the principles for the use of GSO qualified traceability marks.

1) Starting from January 1, 2017, manufacturers, or their authorized representatives or importers must affix labels on their products;

2) The designated certification agency must affix the GSO compliance traceability mark on the certificates it issues, and is responsible for urging certified companies to affix the mark on their products;

3) The minimum size of the logo affixed to the certificate is 4 cm long and 2.2 cm high, and shall be implemented by the issuing agency;

5) If the product cannot be labeled due to its own reasons (such as the product is too small, the surface material is not suitable, etc.), a label must be added to the minimum outer packaging of the product and the documents attached to the product (such as instructions for use) The identification of the QR code and the minimum size requirements of the identification on the product body are as shown in the figure:

7) The color of the main body of the logo can only be white or black

8) The logo can also be printed on a uniform color background or a patterned background

9) The qualified traceability mark shall not be used in combination with the logo of the issuing agency. As shown in the figure, the logo of the issuing agency must not appear in the position marked by the red square:

10) The logo should be clear and readable and difficult to remove;

11) The logo should comply with regulatory requirements and cannot be faked.

4. Certification process

1) The enterprise submits an application for GCC certification;

2) The company tests the products in GCC-accredited laboratories in accordance with the methods and requirements of relevant Gulf standards;

3) The enterprise submits all documents and information required for GCC certification such as test reports and certificates;

4) GSO will review the documents submitted by the company. If the review passes, GSO will issue a GCC certificate to the company; if the review fails, GSO will notify the company that the application has not been approved and provide feedback.

5. Certification fees

GC mark certification fee requirements:

gcc certification (gcc certification scope)

Application fee: 2000 RMB

Certificate fee: 3000 RMB

Registration fee: 1000 RMB/year

Testing fee: Subject to the actual testing fee (the specific testing fee varies for different products)

6. GC FAQs

◆In which countries can the GC mark certification/conformity certificate and test report be used?

GC Mark Certification Certificate/Conformity Certificate is applicable to member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council or Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a total of 7 countries as follows: United Arab Emirates, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

◆GC mark certification/conformity Does the certification include factory inspection?

Not included. The GC mark certification certificate is only for sample testing; the GC mark compliance certificate is for product testing one by one or batch sampling testing.

◆When applying for GC mark certification, what certificates are obtained for different types of applicants?

The applicant should be an independent entity that can bear legal responsibility, which can be a manufacturer or importer. When the applicant is a manufacturer, he or she applies for a GC mark certification certificate. When the applicant is an importer and cannot prove that the manufacturer has implemented appropriate conformity assessment procedures and cannot provide technical documents that comply with Gulf standards, the importer applies for a GC mark compliance certificate.

◆What is the difference between the GC mark certification certificate and the GC mark compliance certificate?

The GC mark certification certificate is valid for 5 years. You can apply for extension and change during the validity period. The audit content includes both product compliance and production consistency. The GC mark compliance certificate is only valid for batch tested products and only focuses on the compliance of the product.

◆Issues that importers need to pay attention to after obtaining the GC mark compliance certificate

1. After obtaining the certificate, the importer must affix the GC mark and the corresponding GC mark compliance certificate number on each product.

2. The importer should indicate his or her name, registered trading name, registered trading mark, and contact address on the product. When a product is not of a suitable size or material to be labeled, the corresponding information should be placed on the product packaging or accompanying documentation.

3. Importers should ensure that the products supplied by the manufacturer are labeled with product model, packaging, serial number, model number or other elements, as well as the manufacturer's name, registered transaction name or registered transaction identification and contact address. When a product is not of a suitable size or material to be labeled, the corresponding information should be placed on the product packaging or accompanying documentation.

4. Importers should ensure that products come with instructions and safety information written in Arabic.

5. After obtaining the GC mark compliance certificate, the importer should keep all technical documents for at least ten years.

6. Technical documents must be written in Arabic. If this is not possible, an English version can also be submitted with the approval of the competent authorities of the Gulf member states.

7. The market supervision agencies of the GCC member states have the right to require importers to submit technical documents or translated versions of some technical documents. The filing period is generally thirty days, but may be shorter in emergency situations.