The new China RoHS Directive: 

The People's Republic of China has instituted new RoHS labeling requirements, effective as of March 1, 2007.   North American manufacturers doing business in China will need to comply with this new directive. The requirements affect all Electronic Information Products imported into the country, and has some significant differences from the European RoHS regulations that went into effect in 2006. To help manufacturers comply with the regulations, Brady has developed a family of stock pre-printed labels, with custom label options available.  

Both the EU and China RoHS requirements are designed to control environmental pollution from six substances: lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs), and polybrominated diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs), plus a catalog of materials to be published later. China RoHS regulations have some distinct differences from the EU mandates, specifically in the broader range of products affected by the labeling requirements. An extensive list of products included in the China RoHS directive is published which includes many items not covered by the EU RoHS directive. The China RoHS requirements include the following Electronic Information Products:

• Electronic radar products
• Electronic communication products
• Broadcast television products
• Computer products
• Household appliances
• Electronic surveying instruments
• Special-purpose electronic products
• Electronic components
• Electronic applications
• Electronic materials
• Maintenance and repair parts

Additionally, while the EU RoHS directive specifies many exemptions from the requirements, there are no exemptions yet specified for China RoHS compliance.

The EU RoHS directive requires that the six RoHS substances not be present in a broad range of finished products above specified concentrations, unless the product is covered by an exemption. The EU RoHS directive does not have any specific labeling requirement to identify the presence of these substances. By contrast, the China RoHS directive requires not only that the substances not be present at concentrations above specified limits, but also that the products be labeled to identify compliance with the standard, useful operating life of the product, and that the product is recyclable. 

What the labels mean:

There are two types of labels specified for the China RoHS compliance.

 If the items meets the China RoHS standard and is recyclable, then the item must be labeled with a circular green symbol with the letter "e" in the center.

Catalog#: RCHE-30-430-1 

If a RoHS substance is present in at least one material that is part of the product, then the item must be labeled with an orange circular symbol, featuring a number in the center to indicate the Environmental Friendly Use Period (in years). In both cases, the circular arrow symbol indicates product recyclability.

Catalog#:RCH25-10-423-5

To help customers comply with the China RoHS directive, Brady has introduced a full line of compliant labels in a variety of sizes. The selection includes the green "e" label and orange labels indicating functional product life of 10, 25, or 50 years. The labels are available in 10mm, 15mm, 20mm, and 30mm sizes. The labels are EU and China RoHS compliant, and are printed on durable B-423 and B-430 polyester materials. The labels offer good abrasion, solvent, and UV resistance, and feature high adhesion properties.

To view and order Brady's line of stock China RoHS labels, visit our online catalog. You can also order customized labels that feature specific, non-stock product life numbers, as well as company name and/or logo. To get a quote for custom labels, call Brady Customer Service at 1-888-250-3082 or visit bradyusaquote@bradycorp.com.

 
Manufacturers can do a RoHS compliant part search at www.bradyid.com/weee-rohs.  The Brady website also offers downloads and other information about both EU and China RoHS directives, compliance, and answers to frequently asked questions.