SASO Regulatory Update – January 2021

On August 28, 2020, SASO released an update to the WRT Technical Regulation (TR). Initially issued in 2016, the regulation covers the requirements for sanitary products and tools that control and direct the flow of water. The updated TR includes new requirements that may impact the validity of some previously issued Product Certificates of Conformity (PCoC). The new requirements will be enforced starting on February 27, 2021 for imported products.

On November 27, 2020, SASO released the Technical Regulation (TR) for Doors and Windows. Prior to this, doors and window requirements were listed in a summary pending the final release of the TR. The new TR re-defines requirements for fire-resistant doors and windows and will follow SASO’s general enforcement policy of 6 months from published date. QIMA will begin referencing these requirements for new requests.

On November 27, 2020, SASO released the Technical Regulation (TR) for Shoes and Leather. Prior to this, shoes and leather requirements were listed in a summary pending the final release of the TR. The new TR re-defines requirements for children’s shoes and will follow SASO’s general enforcement policy of 6 months from published date. QIMA will begin referencing these requirements for new requests.

On November 27, 2020, SASO published an update through the Gazette for Wires and Electric Cables. SASO has now approved the acceptance of the SASO IECEE Recognition Certificate for wires and electric cables for household use. This replaces the previously announced requirement of the SASO Quality Mark (SQM) which was scheduled to be enforced in February 2021.

As previously announced in February 2020, SASO will require a SASO Quality Mark (SQM) or G-Mark on Sockets and Switches. This change is part of a phased approach for changes to the Technical Regulation which upgrades the assessment procedure from Type 3 (working with a certification body) to Type 5 (obtaining an SQM) for specific products. Phase 1 applies to extension cords and Phase 2 applies to sockets and cables. Phase 1 began enforcement on July 9, 2020 and Phase 2 and will be enforced starting February 6, 2021.

On November 22, 2020, SASO updated the Technical Regulation (TR) for imported Electric Vehicles. This includes electric vehicles, electric vehicle chargers, and all relevant accessories. On November 30, 2020, SASO provided further guidance that electric motorcycles were also included in this update. Importers of these products must obtain a certificate of conformity directly from SASO only. Certification Bodies (CBs) are no longer authorized to issue any certificates for these products.

For further information, please contact Eng. Hasan Bin Ali Al Zahrani at h.zahrani@saso.gov.sa regarding electric vehicles, and Eng. Abdullah Ibrahim AlSufayan at a.sufayan@saso.gov.sa regarding electric motorcycles.

On December 6, 2020, SASO updated the requirements for Self-Ballasted LED Lamps that have more than 60 watts of power and are under the HS Code 854370900010. These products will no longer be registered in the IECEE program due to a lack of standards for testing and that the product does not currently belong to the scope of the SASO IECEE Recognition Certification Program. Therefore, SASO has provided guidance to Certification Bodies (CBs) to issue certificates of conformity after the product demonstrates compliance to the technical requirements of Energy Efficiency (EER). This change is effective immediately.

On December 23, 2020, SASO held a workshop to discuss the progression of the new requirements for SEER. The standard was updated to introduce the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) metric and modify the rating metrics and labeling accordingly. It also introduces a SEER calculation tool and provides additional testing points. The draft standard was submitted to the World Trade Organization (WTO) platform for public review on December 11, 2020. The draft is also available on SASO’s website here. The final date for comments is February 9, 2021.

On December 7, 2020, SASO updated the list of HS Codes on the SABER platform. This was based on the General Customs Authority’s annual update on the integrated customs tariff. Some HS Codes have been deleted and replaced with new codes. For a list of updated HS Codes please visit the SABER website. Download more information about this update here.