Electronic Product Regulations in Hong Kong: An Overview

Planning to import and sell consumer electronic products or home appliances in Hong Kong? This guide explains what you must know about general safety requirements, standards, documentation, testing, labeling requirements, and more.

Mentioned Products

• Home appliances
• Consumer electronics
• Plugs
• Cords
• Adaptors
• Ceiling lights
• Lamps
• Clocks
• Fans

Electrical Products (Safety) Regulation

The Electrical Products (Safety) Regulation is codified under the Electricity Ordinance, Cap. 406 of the Hong Kong Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD). The main objective of the regulation is to enhance the public safety of the electrical products that are:

• Intended to be used for household purposes
• Manufactured or imported in Hong Kong
• Have a voltage ≥50V in alternating current or ≥120V in direct current

The Electrical Products (Safety) Regulation requires that all relevant persons, including manufacturers, importers, wholesalers, retailers of electrical products must ensure the compliance of the products.

General Safety Requirements

The Electrical Products (Safety) Regulation requires that all electronic products and equipment placed in the Hong Kong market must be properly designed, constructed, labeled, assembled, connected, and insulated to avoid any electrical and non-electrical hazards that might pose threat to consumers under proper usage.

Prescribed Products and Non-prescribed Products

Other than general safety requirements, the Electrical Products (Safety) Regulation also stipulates additional safety requirements, including specific international safety standards, for certain types of household electrical products which are more prone to cause electrical and/or fire hazards.

Examples

• Adapters
• Lamp holders
• Cords
• Electrical water heaters

Electric household products other than the prescribed products are classified as Non-prescribed Products.

Safety Standards

For certain products, such as plugs, adaptors, lamp holders, flexible cords, extension units, and others, the Electrical Products (Safety) Regulation has designated international or British safety standards upon them.

The Electrical Products (Safety) Regulation requires that plugs, adaptors, lamp holders, flexible cords, extension units, and other products/parts, comply with designated EN or IEC. Here are some examples:

a. EN 50075 – Specification for flat nonwirable two-pole plugs 2.5A 250V, with cord, for the connection of class II equipment for household and similar purposes

b. IEC 60061-2D – Lamps caps and holders together with gauges for the control of interchangeability and safety – Lampholders

c. IEC 60335-2-9 – Particular requirements for grills, toasters, and similar portable cooking appliances

d. IEC 60335-2-23 – Particular requirements for appliances for skin or hair care

e. IEC 60335-2-26 – Particular requirements for clocks

f. IEC 60335-2-29 – Particular requirements for battery chargers

g. IEC 60335-2-80 – Particular requirements for fans

Certificate of Safety Compliance

The Certificate of Safety Compliance (CSC) is a document for the regulated electrical products mandated by the Electrical Products (Safety) Regulation. This is a certificate proving that a household electrical product is compliant with the mandatory standards and requirements in Hong Kong.

Examples

a. A Declaration of Conformity issued by the product manufacturer (only for non-prescribed products)

b. A Declaration of Conformity issued by a “recognized manufacturer“, ie. a manufacturer ISO 9002 certified and accredited by HOKLAS

c. A certificate or test report issued by a “recognized certification body“, for instance, a HOKLAS accredited testing lab

Suppliers should keep a record of the Certificate of Safety Compliance and submit it to the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) when required.

Labeling and Warnings

There are no unified labeling requirements for electrical products under the Regulation. Only some electrical utilities are specifically required to bear certain warning statements or labels.

For example, some electrical products supplied in Hong Kong are designed to operate at a voltage level different from that in Hong Kong households, e.g. 110V electrical products.

There is a potential danger when using such a kind of electrical product in Hong Kong, where the household electricity voltage is 220V AC single phase.

Warning Labeling Requirements

The Electrical Products (Safety) Regulation requires that warning labels shall be provided for electrical products that are designed to be used less than 200V alternating current single phase, in order to alert the consumers of the potential danger when using electrical products operated in different voltages

• Warning statement should be written in the red text against a white background
• The warning label should be firmly attached to the product or the packaging in a conspicuously way
• The size of the warning label should be larger than 120 mm by 80 mm, or one-quarter of the area of the largest surface of the packaging of the electrical product

You can visit the official website of EMSD to see an example of a warning label.

Safety of Lighting Products

The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) establishes product safety, documentation, and labeling requirements for luminaire products, under the regulation.

Safety Standards

Lighting products are subject to different safety standards, depending on the mounting form. Below follows a few examples.

Example A: Fixed Luminaires (Ceiling lights or wall-mounted lights)

• IEC60598-2-1 in conjunction with IEC60598-1
• EN60598-2-1 in conjunction with EN60598-1
• GB7000.10 in conjunction with GB7000.1

Example B: Portable Luminaires (Table lamps or floor lamps)

• IEC60598-2-4 in conjunction with IEC60598-1
• EN60598-2-4 in conjunction with EN60598-1
• GB7000.11 in conjunction with GB7000.1

Certificates of Safety Compliance

The Electrical Products (Safety) Regulation requires importers of lighting products in Hong Kong must hold a valid Certificate of Safety Compliance(CSC).

Similar to the requirements for CSC for the general household electric products, CSC for luminaire products could be a valid test report or product certificate issued by HOKLAS-accredited labs, or a declaration of conformity issued by the product manufacturer.

The declaration of conformity shall include the following info:

• Business information of the manufacturer/importer
• Brand name
• Model/batch number
• Relevant test reports
• Date of issue

Labeling and Warnings

Here’s some information that you may need to include in the product label:

• Rated voltage
• Rated frequency
• Rated power
• Model number and type of lamp bulbs
• Traceability mark (manufacturer’s name/trademark)

For more information, please refer to the Guidelines for Safety of Luminaires by EMSD.

Telecommunications (Control of Interference) Regulations

The Telecommunications (Control of Interference) Regulations of Hong Kong were enacted in 1966 to regulate electromagnetic interference among telecommunications equipment, and other electrical products.

Product Scope

The product scope of the regulation includes the following categories of products:

• Electrical lighting
• Fluorescent lamps
• Household appliances
• Electric tools
• Information technology equipment

For each category of product and frequency of operation, the regulations provide an interference voltage upper limit.

Standards / Requirements

The regulations adopt internationally accepted standards such as the following:

a. EN 55014-1 – Electromagnetic compatibility. Requirements for Household Appliances, Electric Tools and Similar Apparatus Emission

b. CISPR 14-1 – Electromagnetic compatibility – Requirements for Household Appliances, Electric Tools and Similar Apparatus

c. 47 CFR Part 15 (FCC)

d. GB 14023

Lab Testing

To receive the Certificate of Safety Compliance, an electronic product needs to either have the declaration of conformity issued by the manufacturer or test report issued by a recognized certification body.

In order to ensure the compliance of the products, we recommend importers of electronic products to contact a lab testing accredited by HOKLAS to perform product assessment and necessary lab tests.

Here some examples of HOKLAS-accredited labs that provide testing services for electronic products in Hong Kong:

• The Hong Kong Standards and Testing Centre
• Intertek Testing Services Hong Kong
• Bureau Veritas Hong Kong
• CMA Industrial Development Foundation
• SGS Hong Kong