Discuss this signal with compliance peers, get the weekly digest, and never miss an enforcement deadline that affects your products.
China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) has announced a national "One List, One Database" management system for testing institution accreditation, effective June 2026. The system standardizes China CMA accreditation system scope across 11 statutory fields and restricts CMA mark usage to accredited capabilities only, potentially affecting laboratory reports and supplier qualification processes.
China's testing and inspection accreditation system has operated with regional variations and inconsistent implementation across provinces. The China Metrology Accreditation (CMA) system, established formally in 1990 when the former State Bureau of Technical Supervision issued the unified metrology accreditation mark, has served as the foundation for legally valid testing reports in China. Under the Metrology Law of the People's Republic of China, only testing institutions that pass assessment by measurement administrative departments at or above the provincial level can affix the CMA seal on their inspection reports.
The current system encompasses various product quality supervision and inspection institutions, environmental testing stations, centers for disease prevention and control, and other laboratories that issue fair data to society. Testing reports marked with CMA can be used for product quality evaluation, achievement verification, judicial authentication, and trade transactions, holding legal effect as the basis for arbitration and judicial institutions.
SAMR's announcement, published as No. 14 of 2026 by the Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People's Republic of China, establishes a unified scope for China testing institution accreditation. The "One List" identifies 11 statutory fields within the qualification accreditation system: 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.
The accompanying database currently contains more than 45,000 inspection and testing-related standards, including national, industry, and international standards. This centralized database serves as the basis for accreditation capability items and provides a common national reference point for determining whether a testing capability is subject to qualification accreditation.
The new system operates under SAMR accreditation requirements that mandate market supervision departments process accreditation licensing according to the same "One List, One Database" structure. Testing and inspection institutions must apply for accreditation within the scope of this unified system and 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 represents a significant shift from previous practices where CMA mark standardization was less strictly enforced across different regions.
The capability database will be maintained through a dynamic management mechanism by the qualification accreditation review center of the China National Institute of Inspection and Quarantine, with expert review support and regular adjustment procedures. Provincial market supervision departments, industry review groups, and testing institutions may submit adjustment proposals through the capability database management platform, with testing institutions required to submit joint requests from at least three institutions.
The unified China laboratory accreditation system affects multiple stakeholder groups. Companies relying on Chinese laboratory reports for supplier qualification, regulatory submissions, product certification files, or procurement documentation must 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.
Existing out-of-scope accredited capabilities will not be renewed upon expiration. Relevant bidding, procurement, and commissioning parties are 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.
For items 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.
Under the One List One Database system, testing institutions must ensure their CMA accredited capabilities scope restrictions align with the national database. Institutions must review their current accreditation scope against the 11 statutory fields and identify any capabilities that fall outside the unified system.
For testing items within the accredited scope, institutions must continue to use accreditation certificates and CMA marks in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. For non-accredited items, institutions must remove CMA marks from inspection and testing reports and may need to establish alternative methods of demonstrating laboratory competence.
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 relevant, including laboratory accreditation, proficiency testing, or other technical evaluation mechanisms.
The China unified accreditation system implementation takes effect on June 1, 2026. Existing accreditation certificates for capabilities not included in the "One List, One Database" system will not be renewed upon expiration after this date.
SAMR has not specified detailed enforcement timelines for the transition period, but the announcement indicates that market supervision departments must immediately begin processing accreditation licensing according to the new unified structure once the system becomes effective.
The new system specifically aims to eliminate regional variations in China laboratory report accreditation changes. Previously, different provinces implemented accreditation scope and licensing requirements inconsistently. The unified "One List, One Database" structure requires all market supervision departments to follow the same national standards, reducing local implementation differences.
This standardization affects international companies operating across multiple Chinese provinces, as they will no longer need to navigate different regional interpretations of accreditation requirements.
Companies should immediately audit their current testing and inspection arrangements to identify dependencies on CMA-marked reports. Review supplier qualification processes, regulatory submission requirements, and procurement documentation to determine which testing capabilities must remain within the accredited scope.
For capabilities that will fall outside the new database, establish alternative laboratory competence assessment methods before June 2026. This may include transitioning to laboratories with appropriate accredited scope, implementing additional technical evaluation procedures, or modifying supplier qualification criteria.
Monitor the dynamic database management platform for updates to included standards and technical specifications. The system allows for ongoing adjustments based on regulatory changes and industry needs, particularly for strategic emerging industries through the "sandbox supervision" concept for frontier testing fields.
Establish communication channels with key testing institutions to understand their transition plans and ensure continuity of required testing services. Laboratories may need time to adjust their accreditation scope or modify their service offerings to align with the new requirements.