To protect the personal safety and health of consumers, environment and national security, a compulsory certification system is implemented in China for products in relation to safety, sanitation, health, environment protection, and consumer protection.

The State formulates a compulsory product certification catalog and implementation rules for compulsory certification, and the government's competent authorities designate a third-party certification body to carry out compulsory certification for products listed in the catalog. Any product in the catalog shall not be delivered, sold or imported, if it cannot obtain the CCC certification mark (see Figure 5). CCC certification is a market-access system for products.

The CNCA has developed such administrative normative documents as the Table of Compulsory Certification Product Catalog Descriptions and Definitions, the Implementation Rules for Compulsory Product Certification, the Administrative Measures for the Compulsory Product Certification Marks, and the Administrative Measures for the Inspection Staff of Compulsory Product Certification, according to laws and regulations like the Regulations on Certification and Accreditation, the Provisions on the Administration of Compulsory Product Certification, and the Administrative Measures for Compulsory Products Certification Bodies, Inspection Institutions, and Laboratories, to regulate the implementation of the CCC certification.

The SAMR currently follows resolutions of the China Central Economic Work Conference and State Council's “delegation, regulation, and service optimization” reform, and is making progressive improvements to the CCC certification system under the principles of necessity and minimalism. The ultimate goal is to reduce the “CCC catalog” and broaden the implementation of the CCC across industries. By 2019, compulsory product certification was implemented on 119 products across 21 categories.