What Certificates and Certifications Are Required in the E-Cigarette Industry?
The three main aspects of e-cigarette entity certification are atomizers, e-liquids, and batteries; each country has different standards for e-cigarette regulations. Currently, the most comprehensive certification standards include the EU TPD 2.0, US FDA, UL certification, and Canada's CB certification, among others.
In recent years, e-cigarettes have spread globally, especially with a rapid increase in demand in Europe and the United States, leading to safety concerns. In May 2017, the American National Standards Committee first released the UL 8139 standard as the e-cigarette standard. On May 10, 2018, UL announced that its ANSI/CN/UL 8139 standard was recognized by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the Canadian Standards Council (SCC), becoming the North American e-cigarette standard. UL 8139 is a safety standard for evaluating the electrical and battery systems of atomizers and e-cigarettes, specifically testing and assessing the safety of electrical, heating, battery, and charging systems.The scope of UL 8139 certification includes:
UL 8139 covers electrical system testing, including batteries, chargers, and protective circuits, as well as control devices for battery safety, electric shock, and fire hazards.
UL 8139 does not cover e-cigarette consumables, such as e-liquids, other aerosol substances, wicking cotton, and other particulate materials, nor does it consider any psychological and physiological effects caused by product consumables.
E-cigarettes with removable batteries are not within the scope of UL testing.
Region | Certification Type | Description |
EU | Mandatory | The "CE" mark is a safety certification mark regarded as a passport for manufacturers to open and enter the European market. CE stands for European Conformity. In the EU market, the "CE" mark is a mandatory certification mark, with a certification cycle of 5 to 7 working days. |
EU | Mandatory | The Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) directive requires that all electrical products sold in Europe must not exceed certain standards of electromagnetic interference (EMI) to avoid affecting the normal operation of other products. |
EU | Mandatory | RoHS is a mandatory standard established by EU legislation, which stands for the Directive on the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment. |
EU | Voluntary | The WEEE directive focuses on detailed regulations for discarded electronic products, requiring manufacturers of electrical and electronic equipment circulating in the EU market to legally bear the responsibility for paying the recycling costs of discarded products. Additionally, EU member states are obliged to develop their own recycling plans for electronic and electrical products and establish relevant recycling facilities to enable end-users to conveniently and free of charge dispose of discarded equipment. |
International | Voluntary | The CB system (IEC system for testing and certifying the safety of electrical products) is an international system operated by IECEE, where certification bodies in member countries test the safety performance of electrical products based on IEC standards. The results of these tests are recognized in member countries through CB test reports and CB test certificates. |
Canada | Mandatory | Industry Canada requires IC certification for electronic products entering the Canadian market, along with the Canadian electromagnetic compatibility certification mark. |
USA | Mandatory | The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) certification in the USA mainly concerns standards related to electromagnetic compatibility and radiation limits. |
USA | Voluntary | UL is the abbreviation for Underwriters Laboratories Inc., the most authoritative safety testing laboratory in the USA and one of the largest private organizations engaged in safety testing and certification worldwide. |
USA | Mandatory | The FDA is one of the regulatory agencies established by the US government within the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the Public Health Service (PHS). As a scientific management agency, the FDA's responsibility is to ensure the safety of food, cosmetics, drugs, biological products, medical devices, and radiological products produced or imported in the USA. |
Since domestically produced e-cigarettes are primarily for trade export, the certifications mainly involve relevant foreign certifications. With the implementation of the relevant standards for e-cigarettes in China this year, the e-cigarette industry may see the introduction of new standards. The successful launch of the world's first UL e-cigarette certification inspection demonstrates the proactive attitude and efficient action in the field of e-cigarette standard development, helping manufacturers cultivate product credibility and stand out in international market competition.
