Chemical Compliance
Intelligence & Solutions
Taiwan RoHS - Guidance to Reduction of the Restricted Chemical Substances in Electrical and Electron
Nov 20, 2018
Nadine He
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CONTENTS

Introduction

Taiwan introduced the RoHS-like regulation by the publication of CNS 15663 “Guidance to reduction of the restricted chemical substances in electrical and electronic equipment”. CNS 15663 covers the concentration limits of restricted chemical substances in electrical and electronic equipment, marking requirements, exemption conditions, etc. Taiwan RoHS applies to electrical and electronic equipment (EEEs) manufactured in or imported to Taiwan and took effect on 1 Dec 2016.

Competent Authority

The Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection (BSMI) under the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) is the competent authority responsible for Taiwan RoHS.

Restricted Substances

Six restricted substances and their corresponding threshold are specified as below:

  • Cadmium (Cd) and its compounds: 0.01%

  • Lead (Pb) and its compounds: 0.1%

  • Mercury (Hg) and its compounds: 0.1%

  • Chromium VI (Cr+6) and its compounds: 0.1%

  • Polybrominated biphenyls (PBB): 0.1%

  • Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE): 0.1%

Determination of restricted substances is according to CNS 15050.
For mercury level in fluorescent lamps, the test method is CNS 15479.

Regulated Scope

EEEs refer to devices and accessories with a nominal working voltage under 1,500 V DC, or 1,000 V AC, including these listed in Annex B of CNS 15663:

  • Large household appliances

  • Small household appliances

  • IT and telecommunication equipment

  • Consumer equipment

  • Lighting equipment (including electric light bulbs and household luminaires)

  • Electrical and electronic tools (with the exception of large-scale stationary industrial tools)

  • Toys, leisure and sports equipment

  • Automatic dispensers

  • Other equipment covered by CNS 3765, CNS 14408 and CNS 14336-1

EEEs meeting one of the criteria below are not regulated by Taiwan RoHS;

  • Products intended to protect national security and/or for military purposes

  • Products where electricity is not the main power source

  • Products where the electrical and electronic components are not needed to fulfill the primary function

  • Electrical and electronic equipment that is part of another type of product

  • Batteries

  • Large-scale stationary industrial tools

*Please refer to Annex C of CNS 15663 for further description. In addition, Annex D of CNS 15663 provides 37 conditions can be exempt from the concentration limit of restricted substances. 

Designated EEEs and RoHS Compliance Deadlines

CNS 15663 is not mandatory and only EEEs designated and announced by the BSMI are required to be compliant with the standard. BSMI has announced batches of EEEs and set different deadlines for full compliance with Taiwan RoHS. So far most EEEs have already passed the deadline and require compliance with Taiwan RoHS, except for some types which are subject to deadline extension until 1st of Jan 2019. Please see below table for details.

Type of ProductsDate of AnnouncementDate of Full Implementation
Automatic data processing machines and others (6 items)29 Dec 20151 Jul 2017
Network media players and projectors29 Dec 20151 Jul 2017
Water dispensers 6 Apr 20161 Dec 2016
Plugs and socket-outlets, adapters, cord sets and other related products27 Dec 20161 Jan 2018
Radio keyboard and others (92 items)4 Jan 20171 Jan 2018
Electric blankets and others (63 items) 24 Feb 20171 Jan 2018
Self-ballasted fluorescent lamps24 Feb 20171 Jan 2018
drinking water supplier24 Mar 20171 Jan 2018
motors and others (32 items)27 Mar 20171 Jan 2018
Power supplier and others (7 items)10 Apr 20171 Jan 2018
Air conditioners, lighting and others (8 items)24 Apr 20171 Jul 2018
Fluorescent lamps and related electronic ballasts25 Apr 20171 Jan 2018
Printing or copying machines18 May 20171 Jan 2018
Off-board charger of electric bicycle, off-board charger of electric assisted bicycle5 Oct 20171 Jan 2019
Loudspeaker and others (24 items)12 Oct 20171 Jul 2018
Power supplier for cigar lighters in a car3 May 20181 Jan 2019

References: BSMI website  

Obligation

EEEs which contain restricted substances exceeding corresponding concentration limit can still be placed on the market. However, marking of presence of the restricted substances in accordance with CNS 15663 is required. In addition, according to the Commodity Inspection Act, the EEEs should be inspected accordingly.

Marking of Presence(含有标示)

Based on the content determination of restricted substances in units and accessories of the products, a table like below should be made according to the requirements in Chapter 5 of CNS 15663. It should be located on the equipment body, package container (box), or instruction book.

Pls see example below

  • When the content exceeds the concentration limit, the “numerical value of percentage content (wt %)” shall be marked, i.e. “exceeding 0.1 wt%” or “exceeding 0.01 wt%”.

  • If corresponding to the exemption conditions specified in Annex D of CNS 15663, the “—” shall be marked. For example, mercury content in single capped (compact) fluorescent lamp is exempt from the limit standards of restricted substances.

  • When the content does not exceed the concentration limit, the symbol “O” or the wording “not exceeding the concentration limit shall be marked.

BSMI Commodity Inspection Mark (商品检验标识)

According to the Commodity Inspection Act, EEEs are subject to appropriate conformity assessment/inspection modules as determined by the BSMI (announced along with the designation of EEEs). There are three modules, including:

  • RPC: Registration of Product (验证登陆)

  • TABI: Type Approved Batch Inspection (型式认可逐批检验)

  • DOC: Declaration of Confirmation (符合性声明)

For EEEs that passed the BSMI inspection, a certificate of "registration of product certification" (商品验证登录证书) will be issued. An inspection mark (see below) should be labeled on the products.

  • Each mark bears a 5-digit identification number starting with "R", "T" or "D". The identification number and “RoHS” shall be placed to the below or right of the graphic symbol;

  • “RoHS” means that all the six restricted substances do not exceed concentration limits;

  • “RoHS(XX, XX)” means that the product contains certain restricted substances exceeding concentration limits. For example, RoHS (Cd, PBB) indicates that Cd and PBB contained in product exceed concentration limits.