On June 10, 2026, the State Administration for Market Regulation held a key press conference, clearly releasing a major signal: my country must accelerate compatibility and mutual recognition with international rules and standards systems.
To put it simply, in the future, the certification and testing reports of domestic products will be directly recognized by more countries, eliminating the need to repeat testing and spend money on certification.
For foreign trade companies, this is a real burden reduction; for ordinary people, the price of imported goods may be more affordable and the arrival speed will be faster.
Below we will explain in detail the significance of this matter, why it is being promoted now, and its impact on businesses and ordinary people.
First of all, we need to understand what “compatible and mutual recognition of rules and standards” means.
Many people feel that “standards and rules” are far away from them. In fact, we are in contact with them every day.
For example, when purchasing a mobile phone, you need to pass 3C certification in China, CE certification when exporting to the EU, and PSE certification when going to Japan.
In the past, testing and certification were done once domestically, and then exported to each country and had to be done again in accordance with local standards.
This leads to repeated testing and repeated certification, which directly leads to three problems: first, it costs a lot of money, and a product is exported to many countries, and certification fees can easily cost hundreds of thousands or even millions; second, it is time-consuming, and each certification process can take as little as 1-2 months to as long as half a year; third, it is a lot of trouble, as different countries have different standards, and need to change parameters, adjust formulas, and go back and forth.
The core of “compatibility and mutual recognition of rules and standards” is that domestic standards should be as consistent as possible with international standards. Domestic certification and testing results will be directly recognized abroad, and we will also simplify the recognition of foreign qualifications.
The official goal is more straightforward: one test, one certification, multi-country acceptance, and global adoption.
In the future, enterprises will no longer need to undergo repeated certifications for exports, which can save money, time and effort.
So why the rush to move forward now?
This is not a move to follow the trend, but the result of the situation and strength.
First, as the world’s largest trader of goods, China’s total import and export volume in 2025 will exceed 42 trillion yuan, and there will be more than 5 million foreign trade companies.
Research data from the State Administration for Market Regulation shows that on average, foreign trade companies have to undergo certification 2-3 times for each product they export, and the certification cost accounts for 5%-10% of the total product cost.
Small and medium-sized enterprises already have thin profits, and the certification fees alone eat up a large chunk of their profits, which is a heavy burden.
Secondly, our country has entered a new stage of “institutional opening”, which requires in-depth docking at the level of rules, standards and institutions.
In the past, opening up was more about reducing tariffs and relaxing market access, but now it requires “one word and one set of rules for doing things.”
If rules and standards are incompatible, trade will be like a wall, with high docking costs and many disputes.
Third, the strength of China’s standards is strong enough and it has the confidence to “go global”.
As of the end of 2024, my country has joined 21 international certification and accreditation organizations, signed 15 multilateral mutual recognition agreements, and 150 bilateral cooperation documents; 29 domestic certification agencies have cooperated with 98 overseas institutions, and certificates cover 38 countries and regions, and nearly 120,000 international certificates have been issued.
In the fields of new energy vehicles, photovoltaics, high-speed rail, home appliances and other fields, Chinese standards have become global benchmarks, and many countries have taken the initiative to match our standards.
It can be said that promoting mutual recognition now is a matter of course.
What should we focus on in 2026?
The press conference clarified the core actions during the “15th Five-Year Plan” period (2026-2030), and key measures will be implemented first this year.
First, domestic standards are “benchmarked against international standards” and everything that can be in line is in line.
This includes the alignment of technical regulations, aligning domestic product safety, environmental protection, and quality requirements with the mainstream standards of the EU, ASEAN, and “Belt and Road” countries to reduce differences; unified testing methods, and testing equipment, processes, and data in domestic laboratories according to international standards to ensure that domestic testing data is recognized abroad; priority is given to key areas, starting with major exporters such as new energy, electronic information, home appliances, automobiles, food, and building materials to quickly open up mutual recognition channels.
The second is the “global mutual recognition” of certification results, with one certification covering many countries.
Improve the acceptance mechanism, promote domestic CCC certification, ISO certification, etc. to be included in the international acceptance list, and simplify the domestic review of foreign compliance certification; make breakthroughs in key areas, give priority to ASEAN, “One Belt and One Road” countries, and RCEP member countries, and sign bilateral mutual recognition agreements first, and then expand to the world; enterprises directly benefit, and in the future, enterprises can directly export to mutually recognized countries with domestic certification certificates, without the need for secondary certification, the cost is reduced by more than 50%, and the cycle is shortened by half.
The third is that Chinese standards “take the initiative to go overseas” and participate in the formulation of international rules.
Deeply participate in the formulation, strive for more say in the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), and turn Chinese technology and Chinese experience into international standards; export Chinese solutions, directly use Chinese standards as international standards in advantageous fields such as new energy vehicles, 5G, photovoltaics, and ultra-high voltage to drive the industrial chain overseas; cultivate professional talents, establish an international standards talent pool, and cultivate talents who understand technology, foreign languages, and rules to specifically connect with international negotiations.
Who does this incident have the greatest impact on?
Businesses, ordinary people, and industries will all benefit.
For foreign trade companies, especially small and medium-sized foreign trade companies, this is the most direct beneficiary.
The cost has been greatly reduced. A product is exported to 10 countries. The certification fee used to be 500,000, but now it is 100,000 for one certification, which saves 400,000. The cycle is shortened, the certification time is shortened from 3 months to 1 month, and the product is on the market 2 months early, which is more advantageous in rushing for orders. The risk is reduced, the standards are unified, and there is no need to repeatedly change product parameters, reducing quality disputes and return risks.
Take a home appliance company in Guangdong as an example. In the past, when exporting to the EU, ASEAN, and the Middle East, it required CE, SASO, and ASEAN certification, which took three months and cost 300,000 yuan.
Now there is one domestic certification and direct mutual recognition. It can be completed in one month, saving 200,000, and the products can be put on the shelves faster.
For ordinary people, imported goods do not need to be repeatedly certified, business costs are reduced, and the prices are naturally more affordable. For example, the prices of imported home appliances, maternal and infant products, and food may be reduced by 10% – 20%; certification and customs clearance processes are simplified, and the time from ordering to receipt of imported goods is shortened by half, so there is no need to wait too long; domestic and foreign standards are aligned, and the quality requirements of imported goods and domestic goods are consistent, so there is no need to worry about the poor quality of “foreign special supplies”.
For the domestic industry, standards are in line with international standards. Small businesses with poor quality and low standards will be eliminated if they fail to meet the requirements, and the industry will become more standardized; large companies with strong technology and high standards will have global domestic certifications, making it easier to go overseas and have stronger competitiveness. In order to meet the standards, companies will increase investment in research and development, improve product quality and technical level, and promote the upgrading of the entire industry chain.
At the same time, we also need to clarify some common misunderstandings.
Misunderstanding 1: Thinking that Chinese standards should be “totally Westernized” and abandoning our own standards.
This is wrong. We are not copying everything, but seeking common ground while reserving differences and complementing each other’s strengths.
Align with international standards in terms of basic requirements such as safety, environmental protection, and quality, but in areas with Chinese characteristics and advantages such as high-speed rail, photovoltaics, and new energy vehicles, we insist on using Chinese standards and even exporting them to international standards.
Misunderstanding 2: Mutual recognition means “lowering standards” and product quality will deteriorate.
On the contrary, the prerequisite for mutual recognition is that standards are aligned and quality meets standards.
To align domestic standards with international standards is to improve domestic standards. In the future, domestic product quality requirements will be the same as international ones, and the quality will only get better, not worse.
Misunderstanding 3: Thinking that all countries will recognize each other immediately and be done in one step.
This is a step-by-step process, starting with friendly countries and key trading partners (ASEAN, Belt and Road, RCEP), and then gradually expanding to the world.
Standards vary greatly between different countries, and negotiations will take time and will not be achieved overnight, but the direction will be clear and progress will be made steadily.
Misunderstanding 4: It is believed that it is only good for export companies and not good for domestic sales companies.
Domestic sales companies also benefit. Imported raw materials are cheaper, foreign raw materials and component certifications are mutually recognized, import costs are reduced, and domestic sales product costs are reduced; quality improvement is forced, domestic standards are raised, domestic sales companies must improve product quality to compete, and consumers buy domestic products of better quality; domestic sales are easier to re-export. In the future, domestic sales companies do not need to re-certify and export directly with domestic certificates, and the threshold is greatly lowered.
Compared with before, this time is very different.
The first is from “passive docking” to “active leadership.” In the past, we took the initiative to match other people’s standards. Now, it is two-way mutual recognition and equal dialogue. Chinese standards have strength and confidence. They can not only integrate with the international standards, but also allow the international standards to integrate with us.
The second is from “single breakthrough” to “systematic advancement”. In the past, it was only piloted in individual fields and individual countries. Now it is systematically promoted in all fields, entire chains, and key regions. Certification, testing, standards, and rules are all addressed together to form a complete mutual recognition system.
The third is from “government promotion” to “government-enterprise linkage”. Not only the government is working hard, but enterprises are also deeply involved. The opinions of enterprises are listened to in the formulation of standards. Mutual recognition of certification helps enterprises solve practical problems. Enterprises are both direct beneficiaries and important participants.
Fourth, there is a clear timeline and hard targets. In 2026, we will focus on breaking through the mutual recognition of ASEAN and Belt and Road countries; from 2027 to 2030, we will expand to major global trading partners; by 2030, the mutual recognition rate in key areas will reach more than 80%.
In short, promoting compatibility and mutual recognition of rules and standards in 2026 is essentially an upgraded version of China’s opening up, from “commodities going global” to “rules going global”, and from “integrating with international standards” to “leading standards.”
For enterprises, this is a major benefit for reducing costs, expanding markets, and improving competitiveness; for ordinary people, it is a real benefit that allows them to buy cheaply, use it with confidence, and have more choices; for the country, it is a key step to enhance its international voice, promote industrial upgrading, and build a new development pattern.
In the next few years, with the gradual implementation of mutual recognition, more and more Chinese products will be certified once and globally accepted. It will be easier for domestic products to go overseas and imported goods will be more people-friendly.
This is not only a simple “integration with international standards”, but also a reflection of China’s strength and an inevitable trend for global trade to be more efficient and fair.
