Saudi Arabia is the latest country to pass a Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) regulation, one which has fully transitioned into law. Manufacturers supplying in-scope product to Saudi Arabia have one year from July 2021 to comply.
Saudi RoHS is defined by Harmonized System (HS) codes, which are assigned to products as a condition of importation. Products falling under one of the in-scope HS codes must include a conformity assessment comprised of design details and test reports to establish compliance with the regulation, and that assessment must be reviewed by an approved notified body as a condition of market access.
“Although there are many similarities with the European Union’s RoHS regulation, Saudi RoHS does differ in a few notable ways,” said AEM Director of Materials Management John Wagner. “As a result, we encourage our members to note these differences and conduct their due diligence to learn more in order to ensure their ability to comply.”
Key aspects of Saudi RoHS regulation AEM members should be aware of include:
- There are only six defined categories.
- A one-year transition period began in July of this year.
- There is no “open scope.”
- Many of the same exemptions and exclusions that apply to EU RoHS also apply to Saudi RoHS, including those for non-road mobile machinery.
Additional information can be found here: TR -Restriction of hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (saso.gov.sa)
The original RoHS, also known as Directive 2002/95/EC, originated in the EU in 2002 and restricts the use of six hazardous materials found in electrical and electronic products. All applicable products in the EU market since July 1, 2006 must pass RoHS compliance.
Any business that sells applicable electrical or electronic products, equipment, sub-assemblies, cables, components, or spare parts directly to RoHS-directed countries, or sells to resellers, distributors or integrators that in turn sell products to these countries, is impacted if they utilize any of the restricted substances.
For more information on Saudi RoHS, contact AEM’s John Wagner at jwagner@aem.org.
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