Product standards and access rules are different things
A product standard defines the cable: conductor class, insulation thickness, tests and marking. A market access rule decides what paperwork lets that cable into a country or onto a site: a CPR declaration, a listing, a licence or a certificate of conformity per shipment. Buyers need both. A cable built correctly to IEC 60502-1 still needs a CPR class to be installed permanently in an EU building, and a SONCAP certificate to clear Nigerian customs. The desk checks both before shortlisting a plant, because certificates and listings belong to the partner plant and the specific construction, not to a cable type in general.
The IEC base
Most export cable is built on a small set of IEC standards. IEC 60228 defines conductor classes by maximum resistance. IEC 60502-1 covers extruded power cable up to 0.6/1 kV and IEC 60502-2 medium voltage up to 18/30 kV. IEC 60227 covers PVC insulated cable up to 450/750 V and IEC 60245 rubber insulated cable. Fire behaviour is tested to IEC 60332-1-2 and 60332-3 for flame spread, IEC 61034 and IEC 60754-1/-2 for smoke and gases, and IEC 60331 for circuit integrity. Solar cable follows EN 50618 and IEC 62930. China's GB/T 12706 follows the IEC 60502 structure.
Market map
| Market | Product standards met often | Access route |
|---|---|---|
| European Union | IEC/EN constructions, EN 50618 for PV | EN 50575 CPR class for cable permanently installed in buildings; DoP plus CE mark on the label; RoHS 2 (2011/65/EU) |
| United Kingdom | BS 6724 LSZH armoured, BS 5467 PVC armoured, BS 6004 (6242Y), BS 7211 (6242B), BS 8519 | CE continues to be accepted in Great Britain (ministerial statement, 2024-09); UKCA optional; BASEC approval where specified |
| United States | UL 83 THHN/THWN-2, UL 44 XHHW-2, UL 4703 PV Wire | US projects usually require UL or other NRTL listed products to satisfy the AHJ; NEC Article 310, 770, 800 |
| Thailand | TIS 11 Part 3 and Part 4 | Mandatory TIS licence; Part 3 in force since 2013-07-30 |
| South Africa | SANS 1507 | NRCS Letter of Authority under VC 8075; applicant must be a South African legal entity |
| Nigeria | Per product standard | SONCAP Product Certificate plus a SONCAP Certificate per shipment |
| Kenya | Per product standard | KEBS PVoC Certificate of Conformity per shipment |
| Saudi Arabia | Per SASO technical regulation | SABER Product Certificate of Conformity (one year) plus a Shipment Certificate per shipment |
| China domestic | GB/T standards | CCC covers PVC and rubber insulated cable up to 450/750 V only |
| Latin America, UAE | Not researched here | Confirm with your importer of record |
EU CPR in more detail
Under EN 50575:2014+A1:2016, cable is classed for reaction to fire from Aca through B1ca, B2ca, Cca, Dca and Eca to Fca, with additional classes for smoke (s1, s1a, s1b, s2, s3), flaming droplets (d0, d1, d2) and acidity (a1, a2, a3). The assessment system depends on the class: System 1+ for Aca to Cca, with a notified body involved, System 3 for Dca and Eca, and System 4 for Fca. The manufacturer issues a Declaration of Performance and the CE mark goes on the label. A CPR class says nothing about circuit integrity; that remains a separate test to IEC 60331, BS 6387 or BS 8519. See CPR cable classes.
United States notes
US building wire and cable are different constructions from IEC types, not relabelled versions. THHN/THWN-2 belongs to UL 83 and has a nylon jacket; XHHW-2 belongs to UL 44 with XLPE insulation. NEC 310.3 sets minimum sizes of 14 AWG copper and 12 AWG aluminium or copper-clad aluminium. Appliance wiring material to UL 758 is not field wiring. Communication cable is graded CMP, CMR, CMG/CM and CMX, a higher grade substituting for a lower one; fibre uses OFNP and OFNR. A listing must be held by the plant for that construction and checked in the certifier's public database.
How the desk checks paperwork
- You name the market, the site specification and any approval body in the brief.
- The desk asks shortlisted plants for the reports, listings or licences that cover the exact construction and size range.
- Certificate numbers, scopes and dates are checked in the issuer's public database where one exists.
- Shipment certificates such as PVoC, SONCAP or SABER are planned with your importer before booking.
Related pages: compliance and certifications, verifying cable certificates, Africa access routes and the quote form.