Check national inspection reports, 3C certification, and energy labels before buying big-ticket items

In 2024, national inspections covered 25,250 batches of products, with 14.3% found to be non-compliant. The situation is worse on e-commerce platforms: out of 7,297 inspected batches, 23.5% failed to meet standards, compared to 15.1% of products sold in physical stores. Before purchasing any big-ticket item, take a few minutes to check the latest inspection reports and verify that the 3C certificate is genuine. Any product required to carry an energy label must have one.

It costs nothing. Just spend a few minutes looking up information on the websites of the State Administration for Market Regulation and the Certification and Accreditation Administration.

The 2024 national supervision inspections examined 25,250 product batches, resulting in a non-compliance rate of 14.3%. On e-commerce platforms, 7,297 batches were inspected, with a non-compliance rate of 23.5% — an increase of 1.8 percentage points from the previous year. Physical stores saw 8,055 batches inspected, with a non-compliance rate of 15.1%. The authenticity of mandatory product certification (3C) certificates can be checked via the “Certification Results” section on the Certification and Accreditation Administration’s official website. Energy labels are strictly regulated under product catalogs; they must include the energy efficiency grade, relevant metrics, and a unique identification code. Falsifying or misusing energy labels, or failing to apply them where required, is punishable under the Energy Conservation Law across China.

These inspections involve regulators selecting a sample of products for testing; their results do not represent the overall market compliance rate, nor can they be used to rank online platforms. There are no studies quantifying exactly how many substandard products can be avoided by conducting such checks, which is why this item is rated B. The verification platform cx.cnca.cn used in this section was inaccessible during our checks; the correct entry point is the homepage at cnca.gov.cn. Inspection reports are updated annually, so always consult the most recent edition when referencing them.

市场监管总局 (2025). 关于 2024 年产品质量国家监督抽查情况的通报. https://www.samr.gov.cn/zw/zfxxgk/fdzdgknr/zljds/art/2025/art_02676c16ac634fd9a48ec6ea10eb000d.html；国家认监委. 官网「认证结果」查询入口. https://www.cnca.gov.cn/ ；国家发展改革委、国家质检总局 (2016). 能源效率标识管理办法（令第 35 号，第三、七、二十七条）. https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/2021-11/30/content_5713245.htm