China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) has announced a national “One List, One Database” management system for the qualification accreditation of inspection and testing institutions. The announcement, published as No. 14 of 2026 by the Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People’s Republic of China, will take effect on June 1, 2026, and is intended to unify the scope, licensing basis, and implementation rules for testing institution accreditation across China.
China Establishes a Unified Scope for Testing Institution Accreditation
Under the new framework, the “One List” identifies the statutory fields that fall within the qualification accreditation system. These fields include product quality inspection, food inspection, agricultural product quality inspection, motor vehicle emissions and safety technical inspection, medical device inspection, cosmetics inspection, judicial appraisal testing, ecological and environmental monitoring, forestry product quality inspection, forest tree seed and grass seed quality inspection, and import and export commodity inspection. Chinese state media reporting on the SAMR announcement further confirmed that the list covers 11 statutory fields and that the accompanying database currently contains more than 45,000 inspection and testing-related standards, including national, industry, and international standards.
For manufacturers and certification stakeholders, the practical effect is that the scope of China’s CMA-related qualification accreditation will be easier to identify and verify. The system is designed to reduce inconsistent local implementation, clarify the boundary of administrative licensing, and give testing institutions and customers a common national reference point for determining whether a testing capability is subject to qualification accreditation.
The main compliance considerations include the following:
- Statutory testing fields: The accreditation scope is now tied to a defined national list covering 11 legally recognized inspection and testing areas.
- Capability database: Testing standards and technical specifications are maintained in a centralized database used as the basis for accreditation capability items.
- National consistency: Market supervision departments must process accreditation licensing according to the same “One List, One Database” structure.
- Report mark usage: CMA accreditation marks may only be used for testing items within the accredited scope and must not be applied to non-accredited items.
CMA Mark Use Becomes More Closely Tied to Accredited Capability Items
The announcement specifically standardizes the use of accreditation certificates and marks. Testing and inspection institutions must apply for accreditation within the scope of the “One List, One Database” system and must use accreditation certificates and CMA marks in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. For testing items where accreditation has not been obtained, institutions may not use accreditation certificates or affix accreditation marks to inspection and testing reports.
This is particularly important for companies relying on Chinese laboratory reports as part of supplier qualification, regulatory submissions, product certification files, or procurement documentation. After implementation, stakeholders should verify not only whether a testing institution holds accreditation, but also whether the specific testing standard or capability item is covered by the institution’s accredited scope.
For items that are not included in the accreditation capability database, testing institutions may still provide services based on capability, controllable risk, and customer voluntariness. However, reports for those items may not bear the accreditation mark unless another applicable legal or regulatory provision requires a different approach. This distinction may reduce confusion in procurement and testing arrangements by separating accredited CMA reporting from non-accredited technical service activity.
Existing Out-of-Scope Accredited Capabilities Will Not Be Renewed
The announcement also addresses testing and inspection capabilities that were accredited before implementation but are not included in the new “One List, One Database” system. According to the notice, accreditation certificates for those capabilities will not be renewed upon expiration. Relevant bidding, procurement, and commissioning parties are also instructed not to use accreditation for testing capabilities outside the database as a condition for bidding, procurement, or commissioning.
This change may affect laboratories, manufacturers, and procurement teams that previously relied on CMA-accredited reports for activities that will no longer fall within the recognized database. Companies operating in China should review whether critical product tests, supplier qualification tests, or regulatory evidence requirements depend on reports bearing a CMA mark. If a required capability is outside the database, alternative methods of assessing laboratory competence may become more relevant, including laboratory accreditation, proficiency testing, or other technical evaluation mechanisms where appropriate.
Dynamic Database Management Supports New Standards and Emerging Industries
SAMR will maintain the capability database through a dynamic management mechanism that reflects updates to laws, administrative regulations, standards, and technical specifications. The attached dynamic management work specification states that the database will be maintained by the qualification accreditation review center of the China National Institute of Inspection and Quarantine, with expert review support and regular adjustment procedures.
The adjustment process is intended to be ongoing. The technical support body will actively track revisions to standards and technical specifications, while provincial market supervision departments, industry review groups, and testing institutions may submit adjustment proposals through the capability database management platform. Where testing institutions submit proposals, at least three institutions must jointly submit the request.
The policy also introduces a “sandbox supervision” concept for strategic emerging industries and future industrial development needs. For frontier testing fields without mature international, national, or industry standards, SAMR may consider including advanced association standards or other technical methods in the database under a risk-controllable framework. This may be important for industries such as new materials, new energy, high-end equipment, artificial intelligence, and other advanced technology sectors where testing methods can evolve faster than formal standards.
For this article’s source information and any product certification guidance, please contact Global Validity.
Quick Country Facts
China
Certification Body: State Radio Regulatory Commission of PRC (SRRC)
Certification Type: Mandatory
License Validity: 60 Months
Application Language: Simplified Chinese
Legal License Holder: Manufacturer
In-Country Testing Requirement: In-Country Testing
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