Shenzhen - September 2021

Recently, QIMA, a leading global provider of quality assurance and compliance services, has been officially approved by the Gulf Organization for Standardization (GSO) to provide GCC certification for manufacturers and importers exporting to the Gulf region with the compliance mark G-Mark.

There is a huge demand for importing products from Middle East countries, and more and more Chinese enterprises are focusing on this market. Obtaining the official certification of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) signifies that QIMA provides more and more comprehensive services for enterprises exporting to the Middle East market.

Tapping into the blue ocean, meeting local compliance requirements is a prerequisite

Throughout the Middle East, the high demand for garments, furniture, decorative materials, communication cables, hardware, small household appliances, auto parts, small gifts and daily chemical products provides great opportunities for Chinese enterprises. For example, small gifts from Guangdong and Yiwu are popular in the Middle East market; the tariff for Chinese furniture entering the UAE is only 5%, which gives Chinese suppliers an advantage over European suppliers.

Especially for cross-border e-commerce companies, the e-commerce market in the Middle East is full of business opportunities due to factors such as a youthful demographic structure, a leading global GDP per capita, a high Internet penetration rate, a dearth of offline consumption choices, and the fact that online shopping can provide a greater degree of convenience for household consumption.

Although the Middle East market is a blue ocean, the region has special customs, cultures and business practices that make bilateral trade a little different from other countries. Enterprises wishing to export to the Middle East need to have a comprehensive understanding of the Middle East market, and one of the key points is to meet local compliance requirements.

At present, the Middle East region basically fully refer to the EU standards. Take toys as an example, generally in addition to applying for EN71-1, EN71-2, EN71-3 certification, but also need to pay attention to the Reach regulations and the Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive (EMC).Reach regulations are mainly based on the different materials of the product to recommend the applicable test items, commonly found in the total lead, total cadmium, plasticizers, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, flame retardants, formaldehyde testing, and so on. There are also some chemical substance testing requirements in the toy directive, such as plasticizer DIBP, BPA, etc.

In the case of electric toys, the IEC 62115 standard is to be met. Especially for toys with luminescent function, the new standard has introduced new photobiological safety assessment requirements and measurement methods. QIMA experts remind that products exported to the Middle East should pay extra attention to this test, and suggest sending the luminous unit or the whole set of products for pre-testing in order to get the certificate smoothly.

Provide companies with the professional support and guidance needed for GCC certification

Seven member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), including the UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia, require the G-Mark for certain products to be circulated and traded.

QIMA is accredited by the Gulf Organization for Standardization (GSO) as a Certification Body and a Notified Body for the issuance of the Gulf Region Conformity Mark, G-Mark, and is able to audit and authorize a wide range of products in accordance with the regulatory requirements for G-Mark eligibility.

Manufacturers or importers only need to initiate the GCC certification application to QIMA, and after being evaluated and certified by QIMA's certification department, the G-Mark logo can be affixed on the products or packages. QIMA can provide professional support and guidance on the technical regulations of the Gulf countries, the general requirements of G-Mark and the application process, in order to help Chinese enterprises to sail to the Middle East smoothly.

The templates of the application information form, declaration of the commissioned certification body, test report, product risk assessment report, declaration of conformity and other documents that need to be prepared for the application of GCC certification can be obtained from the QIMA certification department for more details.

A wide range of SABER services to meet business needs

QIMA is also one of the assessment bodies approved by SASO, the Saudi Arabian Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization, to issue SASO Cert ificates of Conformity for exports from Asia and Australia, Europe, the Americas (South and North America), the Middle East and North African countries/regions.

In order to streamline the import process and maintain high standards for imported goods and services, SASO has created a Saudi product safety program called SALEEM. Currently, under SALEEM, the Product and Shipment Conformity Program operates through an online system, SABER, whereby importers of products subject to technical regulations are required to register their products in the SABER system and pass an audit before receiving a certificate of conformity.

QIMA can conduct conformity assessment and approve PCoC of regulated products on SABER, review shipment documents and approve SCoC on SABER. QIMA also provides value-added services for companies, including：SABER account management, SABER product registration management, SADAD fee facilitation for PCoC and SCoC, and SABER shipment registration management

The Middle East market is full of potential, and QIMA is deepening its services to help Chinese companies efficiently obtain the "knocking brick" to enter the Middle East market.

About QIMA

QIMA is a leading provider of supply chain compliance solutions, working with 14,000 brands, retailers and importers to safeguard and improve the quality of their global supply chain networks.

With field operations in 85 countries, QIMA combines on-site quality inspection specialists, supplier audits, certification and laboratory testing with a digital platform that generates accurate, transparent and intelligent quality and compliance data.

With customers in 120 countries using the QIMA platform and benefiting from 24/7 customer support in more than 20 languages, QIMA is dedicated to "guardianship of your supply chain".

Media Contacts

Dilla Chen

Email: dilla.chen@qima.com