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China's New National Standards Take Effect November 1: What Foreign Founders Need to Know
A batch of 54 mandatory and 465 recommended national standards will take effect on November 1, covering noise limits for machinery, energy efficiency, product safety, smart parks, and more. Foreign founders operating in China should understand how these standards may affect their products and compliance obligations.
China's New National Standards Take Effect November 1
On November 1, a total of 54 mandatory national standards, 465 recommended national standards, and one guiding technical document will come into effect in China. These standards cover a wide range of areas including noise limits for mechanical equipment, product energy efficiency, classroom lighting, product safety, smart parks, compressed natural gas supply, age-friendly services, and credit information application. For foreign founders registering or operating a company in China, these standards may have implications for product design, manufacturing, and market access.
Key Standards and Their Implications
Noise Limits for Agricultural and Construction Machinery
Three mandatory standards set noise limits and measurement methods for tractors, harvesting machinery, and earth-moving machinery. These standards aim to protect operators' health, regulate domestic production, and promote exports. Foreign founders involved in the manufacturing or import of such machinery should ensure their products comply with the new noise limits.
- GB 6376—2025 (Tractors – Noise Limits)
- GB 19997—2025 (Harvesting Machinery – Noise Limits)
- GB 16710—2025 (Earth-moving Machinery – Noise Limits)
Energy Efficiency Standards for Range Hoods and Ventilation Fans
Mandatory standard GB 29539—2025 specifies energy efficiency grades, minimum allowable values, and test methods for household range hoods, ventilation fans, and multifunctional devices with ventilation functions. Compliance will help improve energy efficiency and meet consumer demand for better product performance.
Energy Efficiency Standards for Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment
Mandatory standard GB 46519—2025 sets energy efficiency grades, minimum allowable values, and test methods for electric vehicle supply equipment. This standard aims to improve energy utilization efficiency of EV charging products and promote energy-saving technologies. Foreign founders in the EV charging sector should verify compliance.
Lighting and Illumination Standards for Schools
Mandatory standard GB 7793—2025 specifies hygiene requirements for classroom lighting and illumination in primary and secondary schools, including daylight factor values, uniformity of side lighting, and color rendering index. The standard is intended to protect children's vision health. Companies supplying lighting products to schools should ensure they meet these requirements.
Safety Standard for Rotating Electrical Machines
Mandatory standard GB 47501—2026 covers general safety technical requirements and inspection rules for rotating electrical machines, including enclosures, terminal boxes, grounding, mechanical assembly, internal wiring, and electrical insulation. Compliance will help improve product quality and safety and enhance the international competitiveness of China's motor manufacturing industry.
Safety Standards for Household Appliances
Two recommended standards, GB/T 4706.123—2024 and GB/T 4706.124—2024, address safety requirements for electric clothes drying racks and commercial vacuum packaging appliances, respectively. They cover protection against live parts, leakage current and electric strength at operating temperature, and transient overvoltage. These standards aim to meet consumer demand for high-quality products and guide healthy industry development.
Smart Park Construction and Operation Guide
Recommended standard GB/T 47874—2026 provides a general framework and guidance for the construction and operation of smart parks, covering digital network infrastructure, support platforms, smart applications, operation mechanisms, maintenance responsibilities, and daily management. This standard may be relevant for foreign founders involved in smart park development or technology provision.
Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Supply Equipment for Towns
Recommended standard GB/T 47548—2026 specifies classification, structure and materials, technical requirements, inspection rules, and test methods for town CNG supply equipment. It aims to standardize production and application and support urban and rural gas infrastructure construction.
Age-Friendly Technology Standards
Two recommended standards, GB/T 47523—2026 and GB/T 47797—2026, provide technical requirements for making mobile apps and government service platforms more accessible to older users. They cover perceptibility, operability, understandability, compatibility, and safety, as well as general design and privacy protection. These standards aim to bridge the digital divide and help seniors share in digital development.
Credit Information Application Guide for Individual Businesses
Recommended standard GB/T 47953—2026 offers guidance on the application of credit information for individual industrial and commercial households, covering content, application scenarios, security, and rights protection. It aims to standardize the use of credit information, improve regulatory efficiency, and help address financing difficulties.
What This Means for Foreign Founders
These standards reflect China's ongoing efforts to improve product safety, energy efficiency, and service quality. Foreign founders operating in China should:
- Review whether their products or services fall under any of the new standards.
- Ensure compliance with mandatory standards to avoid market access barriers.
- Consider adopting recommended standards as a way to enhance competitiveness and meet consumer expectations.
- Stay informed about future standards that may affect their industry.
Compliance with Chinese national standards is often a prerequisite for product certification, customs clearance, and market sales. Foreign founders should consult with local experts or testing institutions to verify compliance.
This summary is based on information published by the relevant Chinese government website and is general information, not legal or tax advice.
Call to Action: Foreign founders can contact ChinaMNC on WhatsApp / WeChat at +86 153 1898 8535 for help registering and operating a company in China.