Short answer: Chile clears low-voltage circuit breakers on a mandatory SEC certificate: 1–4 pole breakers are assessed under the Chilean protocol PE 3/3:2018, which adopts IEC 60898-1:2015, and a locally appointed certification body issues the certificate and the SEC approval mark with a QR code. Argentina is a different case: it is a 220 V / 50 Hz market, and the NXB-63 range is listed with IRAM (Argentina) certification in the manufacturer’s catalogue — but the mandatory scheme and the certificate for the exact ordering code have to be confirmed before a quotation is fixed.
This page covers the two largest 220 V markets in the South American cone and the grids around them. It is written from the position of an independent trading company — not a manufacturer, and not an appointed distributor of any brand — and every certificate is stated per exact ordering code, never for a whole range.
Chile: one protocol, a certificate per model
Chile’s regulator, the SEC (Superintendencia de Electricidad y Combustibles), runs a mandatory certification regime for electrical products under DS 298/2005 and related rules. For circuit breakers the relevant instrument is the technical protocol PE 3/3:2018, which maps onto IEC 60898-1:2015 for 1–4 pole devices. In practice that means a breaker is not cleared on a generic IEC test report alone; it is cleared on a Chilean certificate issued against the protocol.
Testing has to be carried out by a laboratory recognised by the SEC. The certificate itself is issued by a locally appointed certification body (an “OC”, such as DEKRA Chile or ICH), and it carries the SEC approval mark. That mark includes a QR code, so a buyer or a customs officer can verify the certificate instead of trusting a photocopy. A CB report from an accredited laboratory is the usual starting evidence, but the local conversion path should be confirmed case by case — this is exactly where an optimistic assumption costs a shipment.
| Chile requirement | What it means on the order |
|---|---|
| Mandatory regime | SEC certification under protocol PE 3/3:2018, adopting IEC 60898-1:2015, for 1–4 pole breakers |
| Issue path | A locally appointed OC issues the certificate; testing by an SEC-recognised laboratory |
| Who may apply | Manufacturer, importer, distributor or brand representative — but the process runs through the local body |
| Scope of the certificate | Per model and per brand; a family does not cover a different pole count or breaking-capacity step |
| Label and clearance | SEC approval mark with QR; the importer clears customs citing the SEC certificate number |
Two consequences follow. First, the certificate scope is narrow: breakers are certified per model and per brand, so a consignment that mixes models outside the approved set will not clear on one certificate. Second, the QR label is not decoration — it is the verification path, and a label that does not resolve to a live certificate is a hold waiting to happen.
Argentina: 220 V / 50 Hz, and one question to close first
Argentina sits squarely in the 50 Hz, 220 V band, which is the grid most of the breakers we handle are built for. Where a device’s voltage is a design ceiling rather than a single value, 220 V is comfortably inside the 230/400 V rating, and a 50 Hz grid means the usual AC coil and meter selections apply without a frequency variant.
The catalogue position matters here. The NXB-63 range is listed with IRAM (Argentina) certification in the manufacturer’s public catalogue, alongside its other market approvals. That is a useful starting point, but a catalogue listing is not a quotation document: the mandatory route that applies to a specific breaker type, and the certificate for the exact ordering code, have to be confirmed before price and lead time are fixed. We say it plainly rather than post a logo — the certificate belongs to the code, not to the brand.
| Market | Grid | What the buyer should confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 220 V / 50 Hz | The mandatory conformity route and the certificate for the exact ordering code |
| Chile | 220 V / 50 Hz | SEC certificate under PE 3/3:2018, per model and brand |
| Paraguay | 220 V / 50 Hz | The local conformity requirement for the specific product family |
| Uruguay | 230 V / 50 Hz | The local conformity requirement for the specific product family |
| Bolivia | 230 V / 50 Hz | The local conformity requirement for the specific product family |
| Peru | 220 V / 60 Hz | A frequency variant — coils and meters, not the breaker itself |
Note the exception in that table. Peru is 220 V but 60 Hz, so the voltage assumption holds and the frequency assumption does not. Any frequency-dependent part — a contactor coil, a meter, in some cases a surge device — has to be selected for 60 Hz even though the voltage looks familiar. This is the most common error in South American orders: treating “220 V” as if it were the whole specification.
Where Argentina and Chile sit in the wider cone
The South American cone is one of the cleaner regions to work with, because the southern markets all run 220–230 V at 50 Hz — no frequency variant, no split voltage. That is why we treat Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay and Bolivia as one band, and why the South America market page is built around that band rather than the whole continent. By contrast, the markets that sit outside it — Mexico, Brazil and Colombia on 110–127 V / 60 Hz — need a different device selection entirely, and are covered in the 110–127 V selection guide.
What the cone shares is the discipline of matching the certificate to the model. Chile is explicit about it — per model, per brand, QR-verifiable. Argentina demands the same care at the code level. Neither is a “send the IEC report and ship” market.
FAQ
Q: Does Chile accept an IEC 60898-1 test report on its own?
A: No. Chile assesses breakers under the SEC protocol PE 3/3:2018, which adopts IEC 60898-1:2015, and issues a Chilean certificate through a locally appointed certification body. A CB report is the usual starting evidence, but the local conversion path should be confirmed for the exact model.
Q: Is one SEC certificate enough for a whole range?
A: No. The certificate is tied to the model and brand, and it does not stretch across a different pole count or breaking-capacity step. A consignment that mixes models outside the approved set cannot clear on the same certificate.
Q: Does Argentina use the same certificate as Chile?
A: No — they are separate national schemes. Argentina is a 220 V / 50 Hz market, and the NXB-63 range is listed with IRAM (Argentina) certification in the manufacturer’s catalogue, but the route for a specific code must be confirmed before quoting.
Q: What grid does Argentina run?
A: 220 V at 50 Hz. That is inside the 230/400 V rating of the standard breakers, and 50 Hz means the usual AC coil selection applies without a 60 Hz variant.
Q: Is Peru the same as Chile and Argentina?
A: On voltage, yes — 220 V. On frequency, no: Peru runs 60 Hz. The breaker itself is usually rated 50/60 Hz, but any contactor coil, meter or frequency-dependent accessory must be selected for 60 Hz.
Q: Can you hold the SEC or Argentine certificate yourself?
A: We are an independent trading company, not a manufacturer and not an appointed distributor of any brand, so we do not hold those certificates — they are normally held on the local side. What we provide is the technical file and the code-specific documentation that the certificate has to match.
What to send us for a quotation
Model or code · quantity · destination port · grid, meaning Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay or Bolivia at 50 Hz, or Peru at 60 Hz · single or three phase · the certificate route required (SEC, IRAM or local) · and, if it exists, the model list you intend to clear on one certificate. You get unit price, packing data and the certificate document for the exact ordering code. Request a quotation.
Related: South America market · Import certificates by country · 230 V breakers in 110–127 V markets · Cross-reference · Importing from China