EU rules dim lights on exports
By Zhan Lisheng (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-06-14 09:17
Lighting products supplier Wen Binguo, based in Zhongshan's Guzhen Town, one
of China's leading manufacturing bases for lighting products, has seen exports
drop over the past few months and he says strict new European Union
standards are to blame.
"The European Union has so many compulsory
restrictions related to lighting products that I can hardly manage to have a
thorough understanding of them," he said.
Wen, in his 50s, runs a
medium-sized lighting products company. Decorative lighting products dominate
his product range. His company relies heavily on overseas orders, including
those from the European Union, the United States and Southeast Asia.
"I
began to feel the pressure of business decline early this year," he said.
"Several of my partners in Europe told me that I have to modify my products in
order to meet the compulsory standards on Christmas lighting products, which
came into effect in February."
The new standards impose strict safety
restrictions on Christmas lighting products in terms of power leakage,
temperature and breakage.
"I've become very cautious about orders from
the European Union for Christmas lighting products and I'm trying to improve my
products to conform with the standards."
He said the new standards caused
his exports to the European Union to drop about 30 per cent in the first five
months of this year, but he did not disclose the exact figure.
"What is
making me out of breath now is the initiative of RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous
Substances)."
The RoHS directive, effective from July, requires all
products to be certified as not exceeding set levels of six known pollutants:
lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyl, and
polybrominated diphenyl ether.
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