Eurasian Economic Union EAC Certification Review Tightens: Observations on Customs Clearance Delays for Sellers Exporting to Russia

## Background Since the second half of 2026, EAC certification (the unified certification of the Eurasian Economic Union, a compliance mark that products must obtain to enter the markets of five countries including Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan) has shown obvious tightening on the review side. Feedback from multiple partner laboratories and notified bodies indicates that the return rate of technical files (TCF) has risen compared with the first half of the year, especially for products involving wireless, low-voltage electrical appliances, and children's products. This change does not come from the sudden entry into force of a new regulation, but rather from the increasingly unified and strict enforcement of existing technical regulations (such as TR CU 004/2011 and TR CU 020/2011) by member states of the union. For cross-border sellers selling to Russia on platforms such as Alibaba.com and AliExpress, the most direct impact is increased risks of customs clearance delays and cargo detention at ports. ## Frontline Observations From practical cases between September and October 2026, the reasons for returns in EAC certification review are concentrated in the following four categories: 1. **Applicant qualifications do not comply**: EAC certificates must be applied for by legal entities registered within the territory of the union. Some cross-border sellers use entities not registered within the union to apply, resulting in certificates not being recognized during customs clearance. 2. **Inconsistency between technical files and tested samples**: There are differences between the key component list, circuit diagrams, or structural drawings in the technical files and the actual samples submitted for testing, and the review body requires supplementary explanations or resubmission of samples. 3. **Testing reports issued by unacceptable institutions**: Testing reports issued by some laboratories not recognized by the union are questioned during the review stage, and retesting or supplementary reports by laboratories with the corresponding qualifications are required. 4. **Non-compliant language of labels and instructions**: Product labels and instructions do not use Russian or the official languages of the union member states, or lack necessary information (such as manufacturer information, importer information, EAC mark, etc.). The above issues have caused the overall EAC certification cycle to extend from the regular 20–60 working days (reference range) to 30–80 working days (reference range), and the cost range has also increased due to supplementary testing and repeated reviews, with a common range of RMB 8,000–50,000 (reference range), subject to engineer assessment and institution scheduling. ## What Enterprises Should Do In response to the above changes, exporting enterprises can take the following measures to reduce risks: - **Confirm the applicant entity in advance**: Ensure that the EAC certificate applicant is a legal entity registered within the territory of the Eurasian Economic Union, and if necessary apply through a compliant importer or authorized representative. - **Strictly align technical files with samples**: Before submission for testing, conduct a consistency check between the technical files and the physical samples internally or through a third party to ensure that key components, models, and specifications are fully consistent. - **Choose qualified partner laboratories**: Give priority to testing institutions that have cooperative relationships with laboratories recognized by the union, to avoid repeated testing due to reports not being accepted. - **Reserve sufficient time and budget**: Plan the EAC certification cycle according to 30–80 working days (reference range), and reserve 10%–20% budget flexibility to cope with supplementary testing. - **Use professional platforms for coordination**: The Shuwang Testing and Certification Platform can assist enterprises in connecting with authorized representatives within the territory of the union, matching suitable laboratories and certification bodies, and conducting pre-review of technical files to reduce the risk of returns. More information can be found at https://www.shuwangtc.com. ## Notes The cycles and costs described in this article are public industry reference ranges, and the actual ones are subject to engineer assessment and institution scheduling. EAC certification testing is completed by partner laboratories with the corresponding qualifications, and certificates are issued by certification bodies recognized by the Eurasian Economic Union. The Shuwang Testing and Certification Platform is an export certification solution service provider and does not engage in testing activities, nor is it a certificate-issuing body. Before proceeding, enterprises should rely on the latest official regulatory texts published by the Eurasian Economic Union.