Automotive & Parts — United States

For motor vehicles and their components exported to the U.S. market, compliance with the mandatory safety compliance requirements of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) under the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is mandatory. This system adopts the manufacturer self-certification + official market sampling inspection model, covering complete motor vehicles and most key components including tires, lamps, brake parts, safety glass, etc. It is a legal prerequisite for products to enter the U.S. market, and some environment-related items also need to meet additional requirements from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The core regulation is the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), which are developed and updated by NHTSA, and all compliance requirements are structured around the corresponding FMVSS clauses. In addition to safety requirements, products such as tires must additionally comply with EPA environmental regulations regarding rolling resistance labels. NHTSA has law enforcement authority for market sampling inspection, violation penalties, and mandatory recalls. Non-compliant products can be subject to high fines and mandatory recalls.

Different products correspond to different FMVSS standards, the core commonly used standards include: FMVSS No.108 (lamps), FMVSS No.105/135 (brake systems), FMVSS No.119/139 (tires), FMVSS No.205 (safety glass), FMVSS No.302 (interior flame retardancy). Products must pass tests that meet FMVSS requirements, and test data must be fully retained. Mandatory certified products must be marked with the DOT marking in accordance with specifications; tires must have an exclusive factory code molded, and tires must also be labeled with rolling resistance and wet grip grading labels required by EPA. Raw materials must meet the chemical limit requirements for lead, phthalates and other substances specified by FMVSS.