Chile’s regulatory agency has certified TÜV Rheinland of North America as the only independent certification body authorized to test and approve electrical products for export into the Chilean market.

Under terms of the agreement, TÜV Rheinland will be able to certify electrical goods with the Superintendencia de Electricidad y Combustibles (SEC) marking plate. The sticker is required by Chilean law to be visible on all approved goods as an indicator to end users that a product meets stringent safety and operability standards.

The marking plate or sticker must indicate the production date, serial number, country of manufacture, applicable safety warnings, and in some cases the approval certificate number.

According to Massachusetts-based TÜV Rheinland, its labs in Pleasanton, CA, Newtown, CT, and Boxborough, MA will have the capability to test and certify U.S.-made products for export to Chile to meet the mandatory requirements which includes safety and energy efficiency testing and certification for a wide variety of electrical products.”

The list of affected products includes, but is not limited to, audio, video and similar electronic apparatus; electric cables; hand-held motor-operated electric tools; household and similar electrical appliances; lighting; low tension materials; measurement instruments; portable heating tools and similar appliances; and rotating machines.

“This recognition will allow American manufacturers to speed up their time to market in Chile,” said David Haataja, TUV Rheinland of North America’s senior vice-president of products. “With our help, a product tested and certified here will be ready to go on sale in Chile before it leaves the USA. That time savings and convenience could be the difference between first to market and an also-ran.”