On August 1, 2026, GB/T 4706.1‑2024, the general safety standard for household appliances, came into force. GB 4343.1‑2024, the electromagnetic compatibility standard, took effect on June 1, 2026. With the parallel revision of the two standards, household appliance enterprises shall complete CCC certificate update and product compliance transition.
I. Basic Introduction to the Standards
1. Household Appliance Safety Standard: GB/T 4706.1‑2024
It replaces the old version GB 4706.1‑2005 and is identical to IEC 60335‑1:2016. It should be noted that this is only a general basic standard. For CCC certification, it must be used together with corresponding product‑specific standards and cannot be applied independently. The original GB 4706 series has been converted from mandatory to recommended standards, acting as supporting documents for the mandatory national standard GB 44246‑2024. Motor‑compressor products are subject to self‑declaration.
Applicable products: Household appliances, commercially‑used appliances accessible to the public, battery‑powered electrical appliances.
Excluded products: Industrial equipment, medical devices, power tools, IT & digital devices (stand‑alone chargers for mobile phones/laptops shall comply with GB 4943.1).
2. Electromagnetic Compatibility Standard: GB 4343.1‑2024
It supersedes the old version GB 4343.1‑2018. It controls electromagnetic emission interference of household appliances and serves as a mandatory supporting standard for CCC certification. Parallel transition with the safety standard is recommended to reduce duplicate testing.
II. Official Unified Timelines
1. Certification and Certificate Transition Timelines
Applicable Standard | Cut‑off for New Applications under Old Standard | Certificate Transition Deadline | Penalty Rules for Non‑compliance |
GB/T 4706.1‑2024 (Safety) | 2026‑08‑01 | 2027‑07‑31 | Certificates will be suspended if transition is not completed by 2027‑07‑31; certificates will be revoked if transition is not completed by 2027‑10‑31 |
GB 4343.1‑2024 (EMC) | 2026‑06‑01 | 2027‑05‑31 | Certificates will be suspended if transition is not completed by 2027‑05‑31; certificates will be revoked if transition is not completed by 2027‑08‑31 |
2. Production and Sales Timelines for Products
l Production cut‑off: Starting from August 1, 2026, production of household appliances complying with old standards is prohibited.
l Inventory sales cut‑off: Existing inventory products under old standards may be sold until August 1, 2027. A full sales ban will be enforced upon expiration.
Key distinction: The certificate transition deadline is not equivalent to the product sales deadline. The two timelines are independent and must not be confused. It is recommended to complete transition for both safety and EMC standards simultaneously to cut costs of repeated sample testing. Prioritize transition of existing certificates before annual surveillance audits.
III. Standard Determination for Power‑supply Products
Adapters and chargers are prone to misclassification between household‑appliance standard GB/T 4706 and IT‑equipment standard GB 4943.1. Mis‑selection will directly lead to certification rejection and rework.
l External adapters, PD fast chargers, general switching power supplies for household appliances: Only subject to GB/T 4706.1‑2024 with no dedicated product standard; requirements follow those of the matched host product.
l Stand‑alone battery chargers, multi‑bay charging devices: Dual‑standard compliance with GB/T 4706.1‑2024 + GB/T 4706.18‑2024.
l Embedded on‑board power supplies inside equipment: Subject to GB/T 4706.1‑2024; standards follow the host product.
l Special exclusion: Separately‑sold chargers for mobile phones and laptops → subject to IT standard GB 4943.1, not covered by the GB/T 4706 household‑appliance system.
*Core judgment rule: Judge by the end‑use host product the power supply serves, not merely by the power supply itself.
IV. Major Technical Updates in the New Standards
Major changes are made in this round of revision, with new requirements for intelligent and lithium‑battery‑powered household appliances:
1. New requirements for software assessment, remote control, battery‑powered products and UVC radiation safety.
2. Tighter requirements for leakage current, input power and abnormal‑operation tests for electronic circuit faults.
3. Updated requirements for product construction, marking and user manuals; added provisions for anti‑asphyxiation protection, detachable power components and warnings for child‑accessible use.
4. Technical Resolution TC04‑2025‑01 defines differential test items; full retesting is not required.
V. Implementation Procedures for Enterprises
1. Product classification and determination: Sort out product lists, confirm applicable standards and eliminate risks of standard mis‑matching.
2. Difference assessment and rectification: Check non‑compliant items against official technical resolutions and complete design optimization.
3. Phased certificate transition: Prioritize certificates approaching surveillance cycles. Reserve lead‑time for laboratory scheduling and sample rectification. Avoid mass submission near deadlines.
4. Synchronize full‑set documentation: After certificate transition, update standard numbers in BOM, nameplates, user manuals and outer packaging to ensure consistency between physical products and certificates.
5. Inventory and imported product verification: Audit in‑production and stock goods. Imported household appliances are also governed by the new regulations; verify compliance status before customs clearance.
6. For products with ambiguous category boundaries, conduct pre‑determination with testing laboratories and CQC in advance.
This revision of GB/T 4706.1 essentially adapts to industry changes including intelligence, lithium‑battery adoption and low‑voltage application of household appliances, closing safety gaps accumulated over the past decade in software, battery, remote‑control and new‑material‑related fields.
Instead of merely waiting for certificate transition, enterprises are advised to take this opportunity to review compliance of product insulation, fault protection, battery management and marking documentation, and resolve legacy non‑conformities in one go.
