Gas cylinder manufacturer digital code requirements have been introduced by the Special Equipment Licensing Office (SELO) and came into effect immediately.
As part of the drive by China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) to accelerate a quality and safety traceability system, overseas manufacturers of gas cylinders who wish to supply to China must apply for a 3-digit identification code. This requirement is just one of the measures to concretize the implementation of the Regulation on Safety Technology for Gas Cylinder (TSG 23-2021), which states that:
- the cylinder manufacturing stamp or identifying information should include the code of the cylinder manufacturing unit, and that this digital code must be filed with the license approval body
- the manufacturing unit is required to register and validate the identification code, i.e., the three-digit code (requirements of SAMR Directorate [2019] No. 69 and the guidelines of the TSG 23-2021)
- the requirements for non-Chinese manufacturers are the same as for domestic manufacturers
- the competent authority for the code application is the SELO (Special Equipment Licensing Office) of SAMR
Background to the new gas cylinder manufacturer digital code requirements
According to statistics published by the Special Equipment Safety Administration Bureau (SESA), the number of gas cylinders registered for use in China reached 202 million by the end of 2021.
Not only are gas cylinders numerous, they also vary in type, so the establishment of a traceability system is necessary to prevent significant safety risks.
Domestic manufacturers are already subject to the identification code, and this legislation extends the safety management measures to manufacturers overseas.
It is believed that the comprehensive coverage of the manufacturers within and outside China through the widening of the gas cylinder manufacturer digital code will effectively promote the informatization and traceability of gas cylinder products in China, improving risk warning mechanisms and strengthening the safety supervision of gas cylinders.
The gas cylinder market in China
- By the end of 2021, the number of gas cylinders registered across China reached 202 million.
- In Beijing, for example, a total of 3.2 million gas cylinders are registered in use. And there are 44 gas cylinder manufacturing and filling units.
- According to statistical data of imported special equipment in 2021, there are only 19 manufacturers of gas cylinders outside of China who have obtained a manufacturing license.
Next steps
Overseas manufacturers will have to submit an additional application to SELO for the digital code in addition to the Manufacture License application.
This assigned code (three-digit number) will need to be presented to the audit team when conducting the factory audit, either remotely or on-site audit.
As for domestic manufacturers, this “digital code” must be applied for during license applications or license renewals and then display it on their final product (i.e., the gas cylinder).
Contact us to apply for your gas cylinder manufacturer digital code.
Further information
Application procedure and template for a gas cylinder manufacturer digital code:
See the original announcement (No.22-2023) for a description of the application procedure and a template for the application form (link to legislation).
Chinese legislation affecting gas cylinder manufacturers:
- China special equipment quality and safety responsibilities – draft provisions released for production entities
- Technical regulation TSG 23 – 2021 for gas cylinder safety and 1st amendment of TSG 21 – 2016 published
Also, read our services for pressure vessel manufacturers.
