Importing HVAC equipment from China: the conformity documents to request

A CE mark is a conclusion, not evidence. Ask for the documents behind it for your product and market.

Most HVAC suppliers in China can print a CE mark on a datasheet. What protects an importer is the set of documents behind the mark, for the exact model and configuration shipped. This page lists what to request for common equipment types and why.

Start with the EU declaration of conformity

In the European Union, the manufacturer draws up an EU declaration of conformity naming the product, the legislation it complies with and the standards applied, and signs it. Ask for the declaration for the quoted model, not a family certificate or a test report from another product. Check that the model designation matches the nameplate and the commercial offer.

Behind the declaration sits a technical file. You will not always receive all of it, but you can ask which documents it contains and request the parts you need, such as risk assessments, pressure calculations and test reports.

Pressure equipment

The Pressure Equipment Directive 2014/68/EU covers stationary pressure equipment with a maximum allowable pressure above 0.5 bar, which includes most refrigeration circuits and many heat exchangers. Depending on the category, conformity assessment may require a notified body; the Commission keeps their list in the NANDO database. Standards in the EN 14276 series cover vessels and piping in refrigerating systems and heat pumps.

Ask which category each assembly falls into, which conformity assessment module was used and, where required, the notified body's number and certificate. This applies to chillers, condensing units, heat pumps and plate heat exchangers alike.

Machinery, electrical safety and EMC

Equipment with moving parts, such as chillers, fan assemblies and compressor packages, has been covered by the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC. The new Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 applies to machinery placed on the market from 20 January 2027 and repeals the directive from that date, so check which regime applies to your shipment date.

Electrical equipment also needs low-voltage and electromagnetic compatibility conformity. Ask for the test reports and, for variable-speed drives, the EMC configuration assumed: cable lengths, filters and installation conditions.

Energy and refrigerant rules

Ecodesign rules set minimum efficiencies for many products. Commission Regulation (EU) No 327/2011 covers fans driven by motors from 125 W to 500 kW, including fans built into other products; a replacement regulation has been proposed. For axial fans, centrifugal fans and mixed-flow fans, ask for the efficiency grade and the measurement category.

Equipment containing fluorinated refrigerant must meet the F-gas rules on placing on the market and labelling. Our page on refrigerants explains the GWP limits and what the label should state.

The US is a different system

The United States does not use the CE mark. Electrical safety is usually demonstrated by listing with a nationally recognised testing laboratory to the applicable UL standard, energy performance by DOE rules and, for many products, AHRI certification. Refrigerant restrictions are set by EPA's Technology Transitions program. Ask the supplier which of these the quoted model already holds rather than assuming a CE file transfers.

Product families on this site where documents matter most

Chillers combine pressure, machinery and electrical requirements; the Dunham-Bush integrated cooling station page shows how factory and site scope can split responsibility. Compressor packages such as the Xinwuxin parallel screw packages are pressure assemblies in their own right.

Fire-related ventilation adds construction-product rules: smoke-exhaust fans and fire dampers are tested to their own standards, as our page on fan types and smoke-extract ratings explains. The Qinye dampers page shows why a heat-closing damper and a smoke-control damper need different evidence.

Liquid-cooling components for data centres, such as the Envicool quick disconnects, need pressure and compatibility documentation even when they are small.

Questions to ask

Please send the EU declaration of conformity for the quoted model and configuration. Which directives and regulations does it cite, and which harmonised standards were applied? Which pressure equipment category and module apply, and who is the notified body? Which documents in the technical file can you share before shipment? Is the same model listed or certified for the US market, and by whom?

Common questions

Is a test report from a Chinese laboratory enough? It can be part of the technical file. Check the laboratory's accreditation and that the report covers the quoted model.

Who is responsible if the documents are wrong? In the EU the manufacturer, and the importer has its own checking duties. Contracts should state who supplies what.

Does a family certificate cover every model? Only the models and options it lists. Ask for the certificate annex.

Scope of this checklist

This is a buyer's checklist, not a legal opinion. The importer or the manufacturer's authorised representative carries the legal duties in the destination market, and should confirm the applicable rules for the shipment date.

By HVACDeck Editorial · Updated 2026-11-04