When evaluating Chinese ISO certificates it is important to consider which certification body issued the document.
It is a requirement in Mainland China that Chinese ISO certification bodies are accredited by CNAS (China National Accreditation Service), but with the rise of China and the development of its quality assurance market, more and more Chinese certification bodies are seeking international recognition too.
This article identifies 20 Chinese ISO certification bodies that have taken the bold step of becoming accredited by an international accreditation body, and in the process providing a greater level of assurance for their customers and their stakeholders.
Importance of International Accreditation
Although accreditation by CNAS is an important step for Chinese certification bodies to demonstrate their capability to perform Chinese ISO certifications, some buyers may have concerns regarding the stringency of their checks and question the value of certificates issued by Chinese certification bodies holding only CNAS accreditation.
Accreditation is a more developed industry in Western countries and some experienced international accreditation bodies will have stricter requirements and a more thorough vetting process for the certification bodies they accredit.
We believe that the Chinese ISO certification bodies that have succeeded in meeting the requirements of these international accreditation organisations can provide a higher degree of trust with regards to the certificates they issue.
Common ISO Standards in China
When compiling this list we evaluated the Chinese ISO certification bodies that are accredited for the following 7 standards:
- ISO 9001 – Quality Management System
- ISO 14001 – Environmental Management System
- OHSAS 18001– Occupational Health & Safety Management System
- ISO 22000 – Food Safety Management System
- ISO/IEC 27001 – Information Security Management System
- ISO 13485 – Medical Devices Quality Management System
- ISO/TS 16949 – Automotive Quality Management System
International Accreditation Bodies
We identified 4 main international accreditation bodies that Chinese certification companies have registered with:
- UKAS – United Kingdom Accreditation Service
- ANAB – The ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board – USA
- JAS-ANZ – Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand
- IATF – International Automotive Task Force (for ISO/TS 16949 accreditation only)
Chinese ISO Certification Bodies with International Accreditation
The below table identifies twenty Chinese ISO certification bodies, the standards they are accredited to, and the international organisations they are accredited by.
Which Chinese ISO Certification Bodies to Trust – Our Conclusion
Increasingly Chinese ISO certification bodies are wishing to expand their operations beyond the borders of China and take on work in other parts of the world, and I have seen this first hand whilst visiting a factory in Thailand where they held an ISO 9001 certificate issued by a Beijing certification body.
Evaluating the value of an ISO certificate can be a difficult process but it is important to understand which organisation issued the document and who they are accredited with.
The 20 Chinese ISO certification companies identified in this article have been accredited by widely-recognised accreditation bodies and this provides a good level of reassurance of the value of the certificates they issue.
Do note however that Chinese ISO certificates should not be taken at face value, it is important to carefully read their contents and verify that they are genuine.
