Mandatory certification for automotive products
A new draft Department Administrative Order has been published by the Department of Trade and Industry. It imposes certification and marking duties for certain automotive products.
The draft for “The new technical regulations concerning the mandatory product certification of automotive products” was made available for public consultation on the 10th of September 2021 by the Department of Trade and Industry of the Philippines. Comments will be accepted by the Bureau of Philippine Standards until the 9 November 2021.
The goal is to enforce the specified quality and/or safety requirements as prescribed in the Philippine National Standards by mandating product certification for certain automotive products. The affected product groups mentioned in the draft are:
- Motorcycle helmets and their visors
- Motor vehicle brake fluids
- Road vehicle safety belts
- Pneumatic tires
- Pneumatic tubes
- Lead-acid storage batteries
- Lithium-ion batteries
- Audible warning device
- Rear view mirrors
- Head restraint
- Safety glazing materials
- Retroreflecting devices
- Filament lamps
- Headlamp
- Front position lamps, rear position lamps, stop lamps, direction indicator lamps, and rear-registration plate illuminating devices
Even though the technical requirements for these products are based on the UN ECE regulations, the Order contains a national marking requirement: The affected products must be marked with the PS Quality and/or Safety Mark with License number or ICC Stickers. The markings shall be permanent and visible at all times.
Hopefully, the draft Order will be changed before it enters into force because the Filipino labelling requirement constitutes a trade barrier for European manufacturers without raising the safety of the products from the EU (they already meet the UNECE requirements and bear the E marking proving that they have undergone a testing procedure).
The public consultation, including the draft versions of the Administrative Order, can be accessed here.
