We all know that some products exported to EU countries require CE certification. But it is not only EU countries that need it, such as Türkiye. Although Türkiye is a non EU country, its customs recognizes CE certification, which is even more stringent than the requirements of some EU countries.
What is the CE mark?
The "CE" mark is a safety certification mark that is considered a passport for manufacturers to open and enter the European market. CE stands for European Unity (CONFORMITE EUROPERNNE). Products bearing the "CE" mark can be sold within the member states of the European Union without meeting the requirements of each member state, thus achieving free circulation of goods within the EU member states.
CE is the abbreviation for COMMUNATE EUROPEA in French, meaning EUROPEAN CONFORMITY in English, which stands for the European Community. In fact, CE is also the abbreviation for the phrase "European Community" in many languages of the European Community. Originally, the English phrase EUROPEAN COMMUNITY was abbreviated as EC, but later it was changed to CE because the European Community is COMMUNATE EUROPEA in French, COMUNITA EUROPEA in Italian, COMUNIDADE EUROPEA in Portuguese, COMUNIDADE EUROPEA in Spanish, and so on.
The "CE" mark is a mandatory certification mark in the EU market. Whether it is products produced by enterprises within the EU or products produced in other countries, in order to freely circulate in the EU market, the "CE" mark must be affixed to indicate that the product meets the basic requirements of the EU's "New Methods for Technical Coordination and Standardization" directive. This is a mandatory requirement for products under EU law.
Can I clear customs without the CE mark?
First of all, if the equipment exported to Türkiye does not have the CE mark, there will be problems in customs clearance. When the equipment is exported to Türkiye for customs clearance, the customs will require to show the CE certificate and CE test report. If products without CE certification are found to be sold in the market, they will be required to be taken down and destroyed. Exporters will be blacklisted and even fined or imprisoned.
Some exporters first attach CE labels to their products and then start CE certification after shipment, which is also not recognized by customs. If the goods have arrived in Türkiye but have not been CE certified before shipment, the customs will not believe that the goods delivered meet the requirements no matter what channel they get the CE certificate later.
Which products require CE certification?
Türkiye does not always need CE certification for products exported to the country, and generally only requires products within the required range. For example, machinery, pressure vessels, electrical appliances, building materials, personal protective products, automotive parts, etc.
CE certification requires two aspects to meet the requirements: one is the documentation aspect, such as the product's circuit, instructions, etc. These documents must meet the requirements; Secondly, the product itself must meet the requirements.
What certification is required for products that are not within the scope of CE?
Not all goods exported to Türkiye are within the scope of CE regulations, for example, almost all military equipment does not need CE certification. At the same time, products such as bearings (non transmission shafts), vehicles on the road, vehicle parts, food, textile products (including clothing and fabrics), fur and other goods, as well as some special equipment, do not require CE certification. If the goods are under the compulsory control of TSE certification in Türkiye, it is also possible to do only TSE certification.
How to apply for CE certification?
If a company is stuck due to lack of CE certification, it needs to be resolved in the following situations:
1, The product has undergone formal CE certification as required, but due to omissions, carelessness, and other reasons, the copy or electronic version of the CE certificate was not submitted to customs during customs clearance.
Solution: This situation is best handled by providing a copy of the CE certification certificate.
2, CE certification has not been done, or it has been incomplete and stuck.
Solution: If the customer is blocked due to this situation, he/she should immediately communicate with the buyer in Türkiye to see if he/she has a way to deal with the problem. Because many Türkiye buyers have such customs clearance capabilities, if Türkiye buyers can handle them, they can directly entrust them to operate.
However, in many cases, buyers in Türkiye do not have such customs clearance capabilities, so enterprises need to consider how to reissue the CE certification required by Türkiye customs. Once a company decides to apply for a replacement, the first step is to quickly choose a formal and professional consulting agency to obtain the CE certification certificate. It is not recommended for companies to find an issuing agency that can directly issue the CE certification certificate. Secondly, it is not advisable to choose institutions that have a long certification time or appear unreliable due to their short duration for cooperation.
