Since the beginning of 2026, the China Compulsory Certification (CCC) landscape for automotive parts has undergone a major transformation. The State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) and the Certification and Accreditation Administration of China (CNCA) have released a series of announcements and implementation rules that fundamentally shift how several key vehicle safety components must be certified before they can be legally manufactured, imported, or sold in China.
1. SAMR 2025 No.57: From Self‑Declaration to Third‑Party Certification
On January 7, 2026, SAMR officially issued Announcement No.57 of 2025, which fundamentally changed the certification model for 16 product categories within the CCC catalog that had previously been permitted to use the “supplier‘s declaration of conformity” (SDOC) pathway. Under the new rules, these products—five of which are critical automotive safety components—must now undergo full third‑party CCC certification, including type testing, initial factory inspection, and ongoing post‑certification surveillance.
The automotive parts affected by this change are: automotive safety glass, automotive safety belts, external lighting and light‑signaling devices for motor vehicles, indirect vision devices (mirrors and camera‑monitor systems), automotive seats and head restraints, vehicle travelling data recorders (tachographs), and retro‑reflective markings for vehicle bodies.
According to SAMR, the purpose of this policy adjustment is to reinforce product quality oversight for items that directly affect consumer health and life safety, shifting from a less stringent “self‑declaration” model to a more rigorous third‑party evaluation system.
2. CNCA’s Eleven New Implementation Rules
Following SAMR‘s announcement, CNCA released 11 mandatory implementation rules (marked as “trial” versions) on April 16, 2026, to operationalise the new certification model. Among these, six rules correspond directly to automotive parts, all under the CNCA-C11 series.
The six automotive‑focused implementation rules are:
- CNCA-C11-04:2026 – CCC Implementation Rules for Automobile Safety Belts (Trial). This rule applies to seat belts installed on M and N class vehicles intended for independent use by adult occupants.
- CNCA-C11-07:2026 – CCC Implementation Rules for External Lighting and Light-Signaling Devices on Motor Vehicles (Trial).
- CNCA-C11-08:2026 – CCC Implementation Rules for Indirect Vision Devices on Motor Vehicles (Trial), which includes traditional mirrors and camera‑monitor systems (CMS).
- CNCA-C11-12:2026 – CCC Implementation Rules for Automotive Seats and Head Restraints (Trial).
- CNCA-C11-13:2026 – CCC Implementation Rules for Retro‑Reflective Markings on Vehicle Bodies (Trial).
- CNCA-C11-14:2026 – CCC Implementation Rules for Vehicle travelling Data Recorders (Trial).
All these rules follow the same uniform certification model: type testing + initial factory inspection + post‑certification surveillance. This ensures that certified components consistently meet the required safety and performance standards throughout their production lifecycle.
3. Important Exclusions in the Automotive Parts Rules
While the new rules significantly expand the scope of mandatory certification, CNCA has also explicitly clarified that certain sub‑components are excluded from the CCC requirements. This is particularly important for manufacturers of complex assemblies who may otherwise be uncertain about which parts must be separately certified.
- The automotive safety belts rule (CNCA-C11-04:2026) explicitly excludes components such as webbing, retractors and buckles.
- The external lighting rule (CNCA-C11-07:2026) excludes lamp assembly components including reflectors, lenses and bulbs.
- The automotive seats and head restraints rule (CNCA-C11-12:2026) excludes rear‑facing seats, child seats, sleeper berths, seat frames, trim covers and head restraint frames.
These exclusions do not mean that the excluded components are unregulated. They are still subject to other conformity assessment pathways (e.g., type approval at the vehicle level) or may be covered under voluntary certification schemes such as CQC or CCAP.
4. Key Deadlines: A Three‑Phase Transition
The transition from self‑declaration to full third‑party CCC certification follows a carefully phased timeline designed to give manufacturers sufficient time to adapt while ensuring that the market no longer receives non‑compliant goods after a firm cut‑off date. Current CCC certificate holders who have valid self‑declarations on file may have their existing evaluation results accepted by designated certification bodies, reducing redundant testing.
4.1 July 1, 2026 – Start of Third‑Party Applications and End of New Self‑Declarations
From this date, designated certification bodies officially begin accepting CCC certification applications for the 16 affected product categories. Simultaneously, the compulsory product certification self‑declaration system will no longer accept or generate new self‑declarations for these products.
4.2 December 31, 2026 – Completion of Certificate Conversion
All companies must complete the conversion from self‑declaration to CCC certificates and proactively cancel their corresponding self‑declarations by this date.
4.3 January 1, 2027 – Strict Enforcement and Market Ban
From this date, the affected products must hold a valid CCC certificate and bear the CCC mark before they can be manufactured, sold, imported or used in any other business activity.
The SAMR has stated that existing self‑declarations still valid during the transition period may be used to facilitate the certificate conversion process; designated certification bodies may accept original evaluation results where certification quality and risk can be adequately managed.
5. Interaction with GB 7258-2026 Vehicle Safety Standards
The CCC expansion for automotive parts does not exist in isolation. It reinforces a broader trend in China‘s automotive regulatory framework, where the revision of GB 7258-2026 “Safety Specifications for Power‑Driven Vehicles Operating on Roads” has been under active development and is expected to formally replace GB 7258-2017. This revision introduces comprehensive new requirements for electric vehicle safety, advanced driver assistance systems, and critical vehicle construction details, all of which are directly linked to the certified performance of the safety components covered by the new CCC rules.
Key safety standard changes in GB 7258-2026 that interact with the CCC‑covered automotive parts include:
- Battery safety and thermal event management: The revised GB 7258 imposes stricter requirements for power batteries, including cell‑level monitoring and thermal runaway warning systems, requiring that vehicles can detect battery anomalies and ensure sufficient escape time in the event of a thermal event.
- Mechanical door handles and vehicle construction: Passenger cars must be equipped with mechanical interior door handles and at least two doors (excluding the tailgate) must be accessible for entry/exit, with a mechanical emergency interior door handle required even when an electric door‑opening system is provided.
- Acceleration limiting and intelligent driving: The latest draft of GB 7258 proposes that passenger cars should have a default acceleration mode limiting the 0‑100 km/h time to no less than 5 seconds after each power‑up.
For importers, this means that the CCC certification of the covered automotive parts must already align with the updated GB 7258-2026 requirements once the standard is published. Early engagement with testing labs is essential to avoid a double compliance burden.
6. Global Impact and Practical Roadmap
The 2026 CCC expansion for automotive parts has significant implications for foreign manufacturers and importers of European, North American, and Asian components. These products can no longer rely solely on ISO‑based or self‑declaration certifications to enter the Chinese market; they must undergo type testing, factory inspection and ongoing surveillance according to the new CNCA rules.
Based on the official CNCA-C11 implementation rules and SAMR’s transitional provisions, foreign stakeholders should follow this compliance roadmap:
- Product classification review (Immediate): Determine whether your product falls under any of the six automotive categories covered by CNCA-C11-04 through CNCA-C11-14. Not all automotive components are affected; items such as interior trim, door locks, horns, and brake hoses remain outside the mandatory CCC automotive parts scope.
- Gap analysis for components with existing self‑declarations (Months 1-2): If your product has a valid SDOC, liaise with a designated certification body to understand which parts of your existing test data can be accepted for certificate conversion. CNCA encourages acceptance of original evaluation results where risks are manageable, potentially reducing redundant testing.
- Pre‑testing and sample preparation (Months 2-4): Arrange with a CNAS‑accredited laboratory to perform type testing according to the relevant GB standards referenced in the applicable CNCA-C11 rule. For safety belts (CNCA-C11-04), this includes testing to GB 14166; for lighting devices (CNCA-C11-07), testing to GB 4599 and related series.
- Factory inspection preparation (Months 3-5): The uniform certification model requires an initial factory inspection. Prepare quality management documentation, production records, and component traceability logs. Factories with existing ISO 9001 or IATF 16949 certifications may find the inspection process smoother, but it does not replace the CCC factory audit.
- Certificate conversion or new application submission (Months 4-6): Submit the application to a designated certification body (the list is published separately by CNCA). For products transitioning from SDOC, request that the certification body accept existing evaluation results to shorten the process.
- Market access for discontinued products (Ongoing): For products that were manufactured within the validity period of a self‑declaration and are no longer being produced, there is no requirement to convert the certificate, and they may continue to be sold.
Summary: The 2026 CCC expansion for automotive parts, driven by SAMR Announcement No.57 of 2025 and implemented through CNCA’s six new automotive rules (CNCA-C11-04 to CNCA-C11-14), represents a significant shift from self‑declaration to mandatory third‑party certification. Affected components include safety belts, external lighting, indirect vision devices, seats, reflective markings, vehicle data recorders, and safety glass. The three‑phase transition with deadlines on July 1, 2026, December 31, 2026, and January 1, 2027, aligns with the broader revision of GB 7258-2026 vehicle safety standards, reinforcing China‘s push for higher automotive safety.