The Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) published China RoHS 2 on Jan 21, 2016 (officially known as the Administrative Measures for the Restriction of the Use of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Products and it came into effect on July 1, 2016. This revised China’s first RoHS-like regulation from 2006 titled, “Administrative Measures on the Control of Pollution Caused by Electronic Information Products.”
China RoHS 2 restricts the same six substances as EU RoHS 2. China RoHS 2 is only mandatory in Mainland China and is not applicable in Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan.
Compliance with China RoHS is mandatory for electrical and electronic products (EEP) being sold into China. Manufacturers, importers, and distributors must ensure that these products meet these limits and the Declaration and Labelling Requirements of China RoHS in order to continue selling products into China.
There are currently six substances considered environmentally hazardous by the China RoHS directive.
Lead, 0.1%
Mercury, 0.1%
Cadmium, 0.01%
Hexavalent chromium, 0.1%
Polybrominated biphenyls (PPBs), 0.1%
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), 0.1%
Unlike EU RoHS, which imposes substance concentrations for a product or component, China RoHS 2 restricts substance concentrations for each homogeneous material in the product. These concentration limits are published in the GB/T 26572-2011 (Requirements for concentration limits for certain restricted substances in electronic and electrical products). Tests are carried out in accordance with GB/T 26125-2011. The supplier's declaration of conformity to the certification model shall comply with the requirements of GB/T 27050.1 (Conformity assessment―Supplier's declaration of conformity―part 1: General requirements).
The original China RoHS only impacted electronic information products (EIP); with China RoHS 2, EEP are impacted, similar to EU RoHS. This applies to equipment with working voltages less than or equal to 1000VAC and 1500VDC.
China RoHS 2 EEP Product Categories:
Communication equipment, fixed or mobile
Professional broadcast and TV equipment
Computer and office equipment
Household appliances
Electronic instruments for monitoring and control applications
Industrial electrical and electronic equipment, including monitoring and control equipment
Power tools
Medical electronics and devices
Lighting products, including electric light sources (lamps) and luminaires
Sports and entertainment products
In 2018, the MIIT released “The Standard Achieving Management Catalogue for the Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electrical Appliances and Electronic Products (The First Batch)” and “Exemption List for the Restriction of Hazardous Substances of the Standard Achieving Management Catalogue,” which is effective one year after the publication date of March 12, 2018. The Standard Achieving Management Catalogue (First Batch) includes the following 12 types of products. Companies manufacturing products in the following categories will require conformity assessments.
Refrigerators
Air conditioners
Washing machines
Electric water heaters
Printers
Photocopiers
Fax machines
Televisions
Monitors
Microcomputers
Mobile communication devices
Telephones
China RoHS 2 also stipulates that an Environmental Protection Use Period be listed for each product that contains restricted substances above the prescribed limit during which products "will not leak or mutate suddenly under normal operating conditions and will not result in serious environmental pollution or cause serious bodily injury to the user or damage to their assets during the normal use by the user". This Use Period starts on the date of manufacture.
All items shipped to China now have to be marked as to whether the items contained in the box are compliant or non-compliant. The EIP logo or other label is used to mark parts and assemblies that do not contain unacceptable amounts of substances identified by the regulations, and that are environmentally safe. Units that do contain hazardous substances are marked with the EIP logo including an Environment Friendly Use Period (EFUP) value in years.