Where, oh where, is the China ROHS catalog?

On October 9, 2009 the Chinese Government published the first draft catalog of Electronic Information Products, which will be subject to China ROHS substance restrictions.

The draft was published for consultation that ended a month later with the restriction coming into force 10 months after the adoption of the legislation, unless changes were made.

Since then, it has gone quiet!

Recently a lawyer suggested that it was not unusual for Chinese legislation to be published and come into force with no announcements, and it can take several months to hear about it.

So, what progress has been made on the first draft, which generally covers telephones and printers?

It appears that it is going through the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade committee. Many do see China ROHS as a trade barrier. With no Chinese test houses or analysis standards published as yet, it may well not move forward in the short term.

So it appears that the 10 months is not ticking for those manufacturers that will require products to be analyzed locally prior to accreditation.

Progress remains slow and it could well be that when we eventually see the second catalog published, maybe in 2011, the consumer products theme could continue and include TV, VCR, and DVD type products.

Remember that China ROHS applies to products imported into China for sale in China, and products manufactured in China and sold in China. However, it excludes products imported into China for re-export or manufacturing of products for export.