The Mexican governments’ Secretary of Commerce officially announced last month that it will accept products certified to certain ANSI/UL and CAN/CSA standards by an NRTL/SCC approved lab in lieu of the NOM Certification.
Normally, NOM certifications can only be obtained in-country. However, an exception is made in these instances where the UL and CSA standards are similar to the NOM standards:
- For ITE products, in lieu of NOM-019-SCFI-1998, manufacturers can certify to ANSI/UL 60950-1 (Ed. 2 Mar 27 2007) or CAN/CSA-C22.2 No. 60950-1-07 Second Edition.
- For A/V products, in lieu of NOM-001-SCFI-1993, manufacturers can certify to ANSI/UL 60065, Seventh Edition (2003) or CAN/CSA-C22.2 No. 60065-2003 + Amendment 1: 2006.
- For household appliances, in lieu of NOM-016-SCFI-1993, manufacturers can certify to ANSI/UL 60335-1 or CAN/CSA-E60335-1/4E-03 (R2007).
It’s a misperception that only a couple laboratories are recognized to do this testing. All laboratories – including MET Labs – that meet ISO/IEC Guide 65, are approved by OSHA as NRTLs, and as a Certification Body by the SCC, will be recognized as third party testing organizations for products shipped into Mexico.
From the Mexico Secretary of Commerce’s website:
“por cualquier otro acreditado en el campo de aplicación de las normas citadas y conforme a la Guía ISO/IEC 65, y para el caso de los Estados Unidos de América que también sean reconocidos por la Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) de los Estados Unidos de América.”
Translated:
“any other [lab] accredited in the field of application of the mentioned standards and according to Guide ISO/IEC 65, and for the case of the United States of America that also is recognized by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of the United States of America.”