It is worth noting that Thailand and China are Vietnam’s main sources of automobile imports, accounting for a very large proportion of Vietnam’s total automobile imports.
China continues to lead in export size
According to the data from the General Administration of Customs, in 2024, China’s automobile (including chassis) exports reached 6.407 million units, a year-on-year increase of 22.8%, continuing to rank first in the world; electric vehicle exports exceeded 2 million units for the first time.
The cumulative export value of automobiles and auto parts reached 117.35 billion and 93.43 billion US dollars respectively, up 15.5% and 6.6% year-on-year respectively.
Data supplement: From January to February 2025, the cumulative export of new energy vehicles from January to February was 282,000 units, a year-on-year increase of 54.5%.
In recent years, the bright report card of China’s new energy vehicle exports is obvious to all.So what certifications do you need to obtain for exporting new energy vehicles to destination countries?What standards must be met?This article will take you through it.
Import Certification Requirements by Country
(I) US DOT certification and EPA certification are safety certifications of the US Department of Transportation that must be passed to enter the US market.
DOT certification is not led by government departments, but is tested by manufacturers themselves, and then the manufacturer determines whether it meets the production standards.
The US Department of Transportation only controls the certification of some parts such as windshields and tires; for the rest, the US Department of Transportation will conduct regular spot checks and inspections, and will severely punish any fraudulent behavior.
EPA environmental protection certification is similar to DOT safety certification, which is also a self-declaration plus departmental supervision method, and the competent department is the US Environmental Protection Agency.
(II) EU e-mark certification is a certification for vehicles exported to the EU to obtain market access. It is a certification for motor vehicle complete vehicles, safety components and systems that the European Commission forces member states to use in accordance with the EEC/EC Directive.
The testing agency must be a technical service agency within the EU member states, and the issuing agency is the government transportation department of the EU member states.
After the product passes the inspection, the e-mark certificate can be used and then enter the EU domestic market.
(III) Nigeria SONCAP certification stands for Standards Organization of Nigeria—Conformity Assessment Program, which is a mandatory pre-shipment conformity assessment procedure implemented by the Nigerian National Bureau of Standards for regulated products exported to the country.
SONCAP certificate is a legally required document for regulated products to go through customs clearance procedures at the Nigerian Customs (motor vehicle spare parts are included in the scope of SONCAP mandatory certification products). Lack of SONCAP certificate will cause customs clearance delays for regulated products or refusal to enter the Nigerian market.
(IV) Tanzania PVOC certification is stipulated by the Tanzanian National Bureau of Standards. All regulated products (automobiles and their parts are regulated products) covered by the PVOC (Pre-Export Verification of Conformity to Standards) procedure must be inspected.
Products must comply with Tanzanian national standards or their recognized standards, and a Certificate of Conformity (COC) will be issued on this basis.
(V) Saudi Arabia SABER certification is an online certification system for the Saudi Product Safety Program launched on January 1, 2019 after the Saudi Arabian Standards Organization introduced the Saudi Product Safety Program SALEEM. It is a conformity certification assessment procedure for products exported to Saudi Arabia.
In November 2019, automotive parts were included in the product certification list.
The SABER certification process is similar to the Nigerian SONCAP certification. Products must first apply for a PC certificate, and apply for an SC certificate for each batch of products when shipped.
(VI) India’s CMVR certification (Central Motor Vehicles Rules) is the abbreviation of India’s Central Motor Vehicles Rules. Its standards committee is called CMVR-TSC (CMVR-Technical Standing Committee), which is affiliated to the Indian Ship, Road Traffic and Highway Administration.
Since 1991, the CMVR regulations stipulate that motor vehicles and their parts must apply for type certification approval in accordance with the CMVR regulations before entering the Indian market. The test items include safety and emissions, and the certification process includes factory audits, type certification and production consistency control.
The scope of mandatory vehicle certification under the CMVR regulations includes: two-wheeled and three-wheeled vehicles, four-wheeled passenger cars and trucks (M1, N1), light and heavy commercial vehicles (M2, M3, N2, N3), engineering equipment vehicles (CEV), agricultural tractors, tillers, trailers, combine harvesters, engines, CNG/LPG vehicles, electric vehicle BOVs, and diesel/gasoline generator sets.
India’s CMVR regulations have a number of special regulations for electric vehicles (Battery Operated Vehicles). Depending on the type of vehicle, additional testing for electric vehicle regulations and obtaining certificates are required during the vehicle type certification process.
Power Battery Standards
(i) Chinese standards: automotive power batteries must comply with GB 38031, GB/T 31484, and GB/T 31486 standards;
(ii) EU regulations: automotive power batteries must obtain mandatory regulations e-mark certification, including ECE R100 and ECE R10. Materials must meet RoHS requirements;
(iii) North American regulations: automotive power batteries must meet UL 2580 standards;
(iv) Indian regulations: automotive power batteries must meet AIS 038 standards.
Export of new energy vehicles by sea
New energy vehicles are mainly powered by lithium batteries. When transported by ro-ro ships, they are considered ordinary cargo;
When transported by container ships, they are considered Class 9 dangerous goods and must comply with UN3171 shipping regulations and book DG space.
Generally, shipping companies need to provide Chinese and English versions of MSDS, UN38.3, and each vehicle model and transportation condition identification report when booking.
Preparation for export by sea
When exporting new energy vehicles by sea, the following preparations need to be made:
Notes on documentation and loading
When exporting new energy vehicles, customs declaration risks cannot be ignored, which are mainly reflected in three aspects: documents, certificates, and goods.
The key to the customs confirmation of the legality of vehicle import and export lies in the consistency of documents, certificates, and goods.
Among them, in terms of “documents”, various accompanying documents such as customs declarations, packing lists, contracts, invoices, waybills, and electronic data (single window) must be accurate and consistent;
“Certificates” require that the licenses provided during customs declaration must also be accurate;
And “goods” emphasizes that the goods must be consistent with the documents, and underreporting or omissions are strictly prohibited.
Cabinet Loading Precautions
When loading new energy vehicles, you can choose two loading methods: one container with two vehicles (flat loading) or one container with three vehicles (climbing loading).
For small cars, climbing loading is more suitable because it can arrange the goods in the box closely, achieving a balanced, stable and symmetrical loading effect.
Things to note when loading new energy vehicles:▶Choose a suitable container to ensure that the container has the necessary waterproof, shockproof and anti-theft functions. Choose a suitable container according to the size and quality of the new energy vehicle
▶Fix the position of the car using professional fixing equipment, such as steel cables and fixing ropes, to ensure the safety of the car during transportation.
▶Protect the body of the car before packing. Clean and inspect the car thoroughly to avoid damage to the car body by sharp objects or debris. Arrange appropriate protective materials such as foam pads, soft cloth, etc. on the outside and inside of the car to reduce the impact of friction and collision.
▶Battery safety Ensure that the battery is correctly positioned to avoid collision or excessive squeezing. If the number of batteries is large, special battery packaging and fixing measures should be considered.
▶Control the loading quality Pay attention to controlling the loading quality to avoid exceeding the load-bearing limit of the container. If overloading is necessary, consult with the logistics company and use reinforcement measures to ensure safety.
▶Strictly implement the operating procedures and refer to the relevant operating procedures for operation and comply with the safety operation requirements. Carry out the packing work rigorously and meticulously to ensure that the car can be safely loaded and transported. Source: Jian Yiyun EZTRANS
Source: Used Car Export
