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New Chinese National Standards Take Effect November 1: What Foreign Founders Need to Know

A batch of 54 mandatory and 465 recommended national standards took effect on November 1, 2026, covering machinery noise, energy efficiency, product safety, smart parks, CNG supply, elderly-friendly services, and credit information. This guide outlines the key changes and their implications for foreign founders operating or registering a company in China.

New National Standards Effective November 1, 2026

On November 1, 2026, a total of 54 mandatory national standards, 465 recommended national standards, and 1 guiding technical document came into effect in China. These standards span areas such as noise limits for machinery, product energy efficiency, classroom lighting, product safety, smart parks, urban compressed natural gas supply, elderly-friendly services, and credit information applications. For foreign founders registering or operating a company in China, these changes may affect product compliance, market access, and operational requirements. Below is a summary of the key standards and their practical implications.

Noise Limits for Agricultural and Construction Machinery

Three mandatory standards set noise limits for tractors, harvesting machinery, and earth-moving machinery:

• GB 6376—2025 (Tractors — Noise limits) specifies dynamic ambient noise limits and operator position noise limits, along with measurement methods.
• GB 19997—2025 (Harvesting machinery — Noise limits) sets similar requirements for harvesting machinery.
• GB 16710—2025 (Earth-moving machinery — Noise limits) covers exterior noise limits and driver position noise limits.

These standards aim to protect operators' health, regulate domestic production, drive technological progress, and facilitate exports. Foreign founders involved in manufacturing or importing such machinery should ensure their products meet these noise limits before sale in China.

Energy Efficiency Standards for Kitchen Appliances and EV Charging Equipment

Two mandatory standards set energy efficiency requirements:

• GB 29539—2025 (Energy efficiency limits and grades for household range hoods and ventilating fans) covers energy efficiency grades, limit values, and test methods for range hoods, ventilating fans, and multifunctional devices with ventilation functions.
• GB 46519—2025 (Energy efficiency limits and grades for electric vehicle supply equipment) specifies energy efficiency grades, limit values, and test methods for EV charging equipment.

These standards aim to improve energy efficiency and meet consumer demand for higher product performance. Founders in the appliance or EV infrastructure sectors should verify compliance to avoid market access issues.

Classroom Lighting and Motor Safety Standards

Two mandatory standards address health and safety:

• GB 7793—2025 (Hygienic standard for daylighting and artificial lighting in primary and secondary school classrooms) sets hygienic requirements, including daylight factor values for ordinary classrooms in various climate zones, uniformity of side lighting, and general color rendering index for light sources or luminaires, along with test methods. This standard aims to improve classroom lighting and protect children's vision.
• GB 47501—2026 (Rotating electrical machines — Safety specifications) covers general safety technical requirements and inspection rules for motor enclosures, terminal boxes, grounding devices, mechanical assembly, internal wiring, and electrical insulation, as well as test methods. It aims to enhance product quality and safety and boost the international competitiveness of China's motor manufacturing industry.

Foreign founders producing or importing educational equipment or electrical machines should ensure compliance with these standards.

Household Appliance Safety Standards

Two recommended standards provide safety requirements for specific appliances:

• GB/T 4706.123—2024 (Household and similar electrical appliances — Safety — Part 123: Particular requirements for electric clothes drying racks) covers protection against access to live parts, leakage current and electric strength at operating temperature, and transient overvoltages.
• GB/T 4706.124—2024 (Part 124: Particular requirements for commercial vacuum packaging appliances) sets similar requirements for commercial vacuum packaging appliances used for food preservation.

These standards aim to meet consumer demand for high-quality products and guide healthy industry development. Founders in the appliance sector should consider these requirements for product design and testing.

Smart Park Construction and Operation Guide

GB/T 47874—2026 (Guide for construction and operation and maintenance of smart parks) is a recommended standard that provides general principles and an overall framework for smart park construction and operation. It offers guidance on digital network infrastructure, support platforms, and smart applications, as well as on operation mechanisms, maintenance responsibilities, guarantees, daily management, and monitoring. The standard aims to provide conceptual guidance and systematic technical support for innovative smart park development, promoting ecological and intelligent park development. Foreign founders involved in park development or smart city solutions may find this useful for aligning with local expectations.

Urban Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Supply Devices

GB/T 47548—2026 (Urban compressed natural gas (CNG) supply devices) is a recommended standard that specifies classification, codes and models, structure and materials, technical requirements, inspection rules, quality certification documents, marking, packaging, transportation, and storage, as well as test methods. It aims to standardize production and application of urban CNG supply devices and provide technical support for urban and rural gas infrastructure. Founders in the energy sector should note these specifications for equipment supply or infrastructure projects.

Elderly-Friendly Technology and Services

Two recommended standards address accessibility for the elderly:

• GB/T 47523—2026 (Technical specification for elderly-friendly mobile internet applications) sets requirements for making mobile apps more accessible, covering perceptibility, operability, understandability, compatibility, and safety, along with test methods.
• GB/T 47797—2026 (Guide for construction of elderly-friendly government service platforms) provides overall principles for building and providing elderly-friendly government services, including guidance on item sorting, services, universal design, security, and privacy.

These standards aim to bridge the digital divide and help elderly and other special groups share the benefits of information technology. Founders developing apps or digital services for the Chinese market should consider these guidelines to ensure inclusivity and compliance.

Credit Information Application for Individual Businesses

GB/T 47953—2026 (Guide for credit information application of individual businesses) is a recommended standard that sets principles for applying credit information of individual industrial and commercial households. It provides guidance on information content, application scenarios, application security, and protection of rights and interests. The standard aims to standardize the use of credit information, improve regulatory efficiency, expand diverse credit application scenarios, and help address financing difficulties, promoting the healthy development of the individual economy. Foreign founders should be aware that credit information practices may become more standardized, potentially affecting access to finance and regulatory interactions.

Practical Steps for Foreign Founders

To navigate these new standards, foreign founders should:

• Identify which standards apply to their products or services.
• Review product specifications and test reports to ensure compliance with mandatory standards.
• Consider voluntary adoption of recommended standards where relevant to market competitiveness.
• Stay informed about future updates from the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR).

Compliance with these standards is essential for smooth market entry and operations in China. Non-compliance with mandatory standards can lead to penalties or market withdrawal.

This summary is based on information published by the relevant Chinese government website and is general information, not legal or tax advice.

Call to Action: Foreign founders can contact ChinaMNC on WhatsApp / WeChat at +86 153 1898 8535 for help registering and operating a company in China.