Short answer: an EAC certificate is the customs-union conformity document that lets a low-voltage circuit breaker be sold and cleared in Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan. For breakers, TR CU 004/2011 names automatic circuit breakers among the products that need a certificate, not a self-declaration, and the applicant must be a legal entity registered inside the EAEU. A separate TR CU 037/2016 RoHS declaration rides alongside it. The breaker itself is specified exactly as anywhere else — series, frame, breaking class, poles, trip unit — on a 220–230 V / 50 Hz grid with Russian-language marking.
This page is written by an independent trading company, not a manufacturer and not an appointed distributor of any brand. Certificates are stated per exact ordering code, never for a whole range. What follows is the document chain, in the order it usually goes wrong.
Three documents, not one
Buyers often ask for “the EAC certificate” as though one PDF closed the file. In practice an EAC-marked breaker in the customs union is carried by three different pieces of paper, and they are not interchangeable.
| Document | Legal basis | Form | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| EAC certificate of conformity | TR CU 004/2011 (low-voltage equipment safety) | Certificate | The product-level approval. Shows the code, the standards and the holder. |
| RoHS declaration | TR CU 037/2016 (restriction of hazardous substances) | Declaration (DoC) | Substance compliance. Automatic switches and residual-current devices sit in the regulated list. |
| Technical passport and Russian label | TR CU 004 marking rules | Document on or with the unit | Operating instructions and label in Russian, with the EAC mark and the applicant’s details. |
The first two are the ones that stop cargo. The third is the one that gets a container held at the border on a paperwork check, even when the certificate is perfectly genuine.
The annex list decides certificate or declaration
TR CU 004/2011 does not leave the choice to the seller. Its annex lists the product groups that must be assessed by certification; everything else in scope of the technical regulation can be handled by the lighter declaration route. Automatic circuit breakers and protective cut-out devices appear in the certification list, which is why a breaker is normally an EAC certificate item and not a declaration item.
So if the file you are shown for a breaker is a declaration only, ask why. The safe question is never “do you have EAC?” but “which EAC document, for which code, under which technical regulation?”
Who is allowed to hold the certificate
The applicant must be a legal entity registered in the EAEU — Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia or Kyrgyzstan. A Chinese exporter cannot hold it, and neither can a buyer sitting outside the union. There are two normal structures:
| Structure | How it works | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Appointed authorised representative | An EAEU-registered person acts as applicant and holder on behalf of the manufacturer or exporter, under a written contract that carries the liability terms. | The representative’s name and address appear on the label and in the register. Check the register entry, not just the PDF. |
| Buyer-side local entity | The importer or its group company inside the union holds the certificate and clears the shipment. | Works well where the buyer already has a local legal presence; the certificate belongs to them, not to you. |
The classic failure mode is the shared holder: several unrelated Chinese factories riding on one Russian representative’s certificates. When one product under that holder is questioned, every certificate in the file comes under scrutiny at once. It is cheap until it is expensive.
Two checks take minutes and save shipments. The certificate number should be findable in the FDMC public register, and the register entry should describe the same product and standards as the paper document. And the EAC mark plus the holder’s identification on the product or label should match the certificate — unmarked goods are routinely detained.
Standards, grid and language
The customs union adopts the IEC breaker standards through the GOST system, so the engineering basis is familiar.
| Item | What it means for a Russia / CIS order |
|---|---|
| MCB standard | GOST adoption of IEC 60898-1 — the family behind NB1-63, NB1-63H and NXB-63. |
| RCCB and RCBO | GOST adoption of IEC 61008-1 and 61009-1 — for example NL1-63 and the NXBLE / NB2LE families. |
| MCCB and ACB | GOST adoption of IEC 60947-2 — NM1, NXM, NM8N and the NA1 / NXA air circuit breakers. |
| Contactors and relays | IEC 60947-4-1 — NXC, NC1, CJX2 with NR2 overload relays. |
| Grid | 220–230 V, 50 Hz. The Russian convention is written С220/380, and 2P+N usage is common in panels. |
| Marking | Russian-language labels and instructions. English-only labelling is a common cause of hold-ups in the CIS. |
There is no frequency trap in this region: the CIS is a 50 Hz world, and an IEC 60898-1 or 60947-2 breaker rated 50/60 Hz covers it. The 60 Hz coil problem belongs to Saudi Arabia, Peru and the Philippines, not here — see contactor coil voltage at 50 Hz vs 60 Hz if the same panel is being quoted for both regions.
Series certificate versus batch certificate
EAC certificates come in more than one shape, and the shape matters more than the logo on the cover.
- Series certificate — built on sample testing plus periodic review of production. The right choice for repeat business, because the certificate keeps covering new production of the same codes.
- Batch or single-shipment certificate — issued for a defined consignment, often on the strength of existing accredited test reports. Suitable for a tender or a one-off project shipment.
- RoHS declaration — the TR CU 037/2016 route, which for series production can run for several years before renewal.
Either route names specific product codes. A code that is not printed on the certificate is not covered by it, however similar the sibling model looks. Timelines and fees vary by certification body and route, so we quote the route against your code list rather than promising a date.
What usually rides in the same container
| Role in the panel | Series we quote | Standard and rating notes |
|---|---|---|
| Final-circuit MCB | NB1-63, NB1-63H, NXB-63 | IEC/EN 60898-1, 1–63 A, 1P–4P, B/C/D curves; 6 kA, and 10 kA on the high-breaking versions. |
| Earth-leakage device | NL1-63 RCCB, NXBLE-63 / NB2LE RCBO | IEC/EN 61008-1 and 61009-1, 30 / 100 / 300 mA sensitivity, Type AC and Type A. |
| Distribution and incomer | NM1, NXM, NM8N MCCB; NA1 / NXA ACB | IEC/EN 60947-2, breaking class chosen per frame; ACB frames up to 6300 A. |
| Motor control | NXC, NC1, CJX2 contactors; NR2 relays | IEC/EN 60947-4-1, coil voltage to be stated per order because coil and frequency must match the grid. |
Public EAC documentation exists for several of these series. Whether the exact ordering code in your enquiry is covered, and under which holder, is the question we answer before the order rather than after it.
One non-certificate risk worth naming
Payment channels for settlements involving the region are not uniform across Chinese banks. Before the order is fixed, confirm with your own bank that the channel works — traders in this market tend to say the payment path, not the certificate, is what actually delays a deal.
FAQ
Q: Is an EAC certificate the same as an EAC declaration?
A: No. They are different assessment routes under the same technical regulation. Circuit breakers fall in the list that requires certification; the declaration route is for products outside that list. Do not accept one in place of the other without checking the annex.
Q: Can a Chinese factory hold the EAC certificate itself?
A: Not directly. The applicant and holder must be a legal entity inside the EAEU. In practice a manufacturer works through an appointed authorised representative or the buyer’s own local entity, under a written contract that sets out the liability.
Q: Does one certificate cover all five countries?
A: Yes. The EAC certificate is a customs-union document valid in Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan. National approvals beyond that are not normally required for a listed low-voltage breaker.
Q: Which standard is a breaker tested to for EAC?
A: The GOST adoption of the relevant IEC standard — IEC 60898-1 for MCBs, 61008-1 and 61009-1 for residual-current devices, 60947-2 for moulded-case and air circuit breakers, 60947-4-1 for contactors.
Q: Do I need 60 Hz variants for Russia?
A: No. The region is 50 Hz. The frequency question only becomes critical for coil-driven devices such as contactors, and even there a 50 Hz coil is the normal specification for this market.
Q: Does a CCC mark help in Russia?
A: No. CCC is a Chinese domestic compulsory mark. It is not a customs-union document and does not substitute for EAC. Its presence also does not tell you anything about whether a specific export code carries EAC.
What to send us for a quotation
Model or ordering code · quantity · destination country · single-phase or three-phase and available fault level · required certificate route (series or batch) · whether you need the certificate issued to a named EAEU representative. You get unit price, packing data (pcs per carton, gross weight, CBM) and the certificate document that matches the exact code being quoted. Request a quotation.
Related: EAC circuit breakers for Russia and the CIS · Electrical import certificates by country · MCB series and ratings · MCCB series and ratings · Contactors and overload relays · How to import circuit breakers from China · How to verify genuine product