The United States is one of the world’s largest household appliances importers, while China is an important supplier of household appliances. In recent years, despite the influence of many factors such as global economic situation, trade policy, China’s household appliances exports to the United States haveined a steady overall growth trend.Home appliancesProducts exported to the United States need to meet the certification requirements and regulatory directives, for the reference of exporting companies, hopefully can help.

US Market Access Requirements and Regulations

1 Electrical Safety

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

OSHA requires that 37 different types of products, equipment, components or systems used in the workplace must be certified by the National Accredited Testing Laboratory (NRTL) for market entry.The directive applies to all household appliances.The main purpose of the NRTL certification is to ensure the product’s electrical safety during use and to prevent electrical shock, fire and other risks.

Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act

The law stipulates that the relevant products must meet the standard requirements for entering the market, especially for products such as microwave ovens, to ensure their safety when heating food.

Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC)

In accordance with the Federal Communications Act, household appliances operating at frequencies above 9kHz, such as microwave ovens, must be tested by an authorized body to ensure that their electromagnetic compatibility qualifiers can enter the market.

3 The Energy Efficiency

The National Energy Policy Law stipulates that household appliances must meet the requirements of the minimum energy limit standard (MEPS), some products also need to attach mandatory performance labels to enter the market.

• MEPS+ Energy Efficiency Label RequirementsSuitable for air conditioning, refrigerator / fridge, washing machine, dishwasher, water heater, heat pump, hanging fan and other products.
• Measures onlySuitable for drying machines, direct heating equipment and other products.

These provisions aim to reduce energy consumption and improve energy utilization efficiency.

Wireless radio frequency (Wifi only)

The Federal Communications Act stipulates that household appliances with wireless communications modules (such as 2.4GHz WiFi devices) must be tested and certified by an accredited body to ensure that their wireless communications radio frequency performance meets the standard requirements and can be marketed.

U.S. Qualification Requirements and Marks

1 Electrical Safety

Home appliances exported to the United States must pass type testing and factory review, and certification must be obtained from an OSHA-accredited certification body.After certification, the corresponding certification mark must be applied to the product.The certification process includes the following steps:

• Type of ExperimentA series of electrical safety tests are carried out to ensure that the product complies with the relevant standards.
• Factory ReviewThe certification body audits the production plant to ensure that it has the ability to continue to produce qualified products.

Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC)

EMC certification generally adopts a model of self-validation or declaration of conformity:

• self verifiedProducts must be tested at the listing agency and attached to the corresponding FCC label.
• Declaration of conformityProducts must be tested by an accredited body, provided with technical records and attached to the FCC label.

These measures ensure that the product works properly in an electromagnetic environment and does not interfere with other devices.

3 The Energy Efficiency

Manufacturers must submit energy usage data to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and attach a mandatory Energy Guide label.

Wireless radio frequency (Wifi only)

The certification of wireless communications equipment generally uses a conformity declaration or certification model:

• Declaration of conformityProducts must be tested by an accredited body, provided with technical records and attached to the FCC label.
• CertificationThe product must be tested in an FCC-accredited test laboratory, and the FCC-accredited telecommunications certification agency (TCB) shall issue the Equipment Authorization (TCB Grant) after assessment based on the submitted certification documents and test data, and the product must be labeled with the FCC label.

These steps ensure that the radio frequency performance of the wireless device complies with the standards and does not cause interference to the communication network.

Conclusion

Exporting household appliances to the U.S. market requires strict compliance with a number of regulations and certification requirements, including electrical safety, electromagnetic compatibility, energy efficiency and wireless communication radio frequency.By obtaining the relevant certification, companies can not only ensure that products meet the safety and performance requirements of the U.S. market, but also improve the market competitiveness of products and gain consumer confidence.

It is hoped that this article will provide valuable references to relevant companies, help companies understand and follow the access requirements and certification standards of the U.S. market, and ensure that products enter the U.S. market smoothly.