RoHS in China vs Europe

Table 1

To better understand the strategy and thought process of the Chinese regulations, it may be helpful to draw some comparisons between the European Union’s ROHS rules and those of China. Similar to what has been enacted in the European Union, the Chinese version of ROHS focuses on the same six hazardous substances.
 
Also similar to Europe’s version of RoHS is the self-declaration requirement. Under the Chinese law, manufacturers that make products in or sell products to China must label their products with the appropriate RoHS logos and include in the user’s manual a list containing the quantity of each the six substances for each product (Table 1). “X” represents the content of the hazardous substance above the required level; “O” represents below the required level.

China’s new RoHS law does have some differences from the European Union’s version. For example, China will not issue an exempt list of products—instead, it will issue a mandatory list of products that must comply with RoHS. Products included in the list must be subject to testing (according to the aforementioned standards) in Chinese laboratories under management of the China Quality Center—this is the second step of RoHS implementation. As of press time, the mandatory list has not been released yet and no other detailed implementation procedures are under consideration within the ministries.