CE, FCC, RoHS — the certifications your export charger needs

Selling chargers across borders means paperwork before profit. Here is the short version of what marks matter.

The big four

• CE — EU single market. Covers EMC and low-voltage directives.
• FCC — US electromagnetic emissions (Part 15).
• RoHS — restricts hazardous substances; required by EU and widely expected elsewhere.
• UL / ETL — North American safety listing; not federal law but retailers and insurers effectively require it.

Market specifics

• UK: UKCA now parallels CE post-Brexit.
• Japan: PSE mark for specified electrical devices.
• Korea: KC mark.

Why it shapes the hardware

Certification is not a sticker you add at the border. It drives the enclosure, the filtering, the creepage/clearance on the PCB and the standby power budget. Design for the target market from the schematic.

For marine and RV duty, ingress protection and salt-spray resilience add a layer on top — see the marine & RV charger range.