Certification Introduction
Panama implements mandatory access certification for electrical and electronic products, managed by DGNTI (Directorate General of Standards and Industrial Technology) under the Panamanian National Industrial Technical Standards Commission, also known as COPANIT certification. It is a statutory requirement for electrical and electronic products to enter the Panamanian market. The certification covers six categories of products including household appliances, information technology equipment, lighting products and electric tools. Since 2023, this mandatory requirement also applies to electrical and electronic products imported via cross-border e-commerce. Holding a CB test report issued by an ILAC-accredited body can significantly shorten the certification cycle. The certificate is valid for three years, and annual supervision audits are required.
Laws and Regulations
The core regulatory framework is Panama's Law No. 23. All electrical and electronic products imported and marketed in Panama must obtain officially recognized conformity certification before completing customs clearance and entering market circulation. Uncertified products are prohibited from sale.
Technical Requirements
- Standard system: Panama adopts national standards NTP, which are equivalent transformations of IEC international standards. Plug specifications must comply with the requirements of NTP 311.009 standard.
- Electrical safety: Safety tests including insulation withstand voltage, grounding continuity, temperature rise, and mechanical strength are required. Due to Panama's tropical climate, an additional durability test in high-temperature and high-humidity environment is required.
- Electromagnetic compatibility: Must comply with CISPR 22/32 emission limits, IEC 61000-3-2 harmonic requirements, and IEC 61000-4-2 electrostatic immunity requirements.
- Labeling requirements: Products must provide compliant label information in Spanish.
Certification Process
- Application preparation: Confirm the corresponding NTP standard for the product, prepare complete technical documents, and complete local agent filing.
- Testing: Send samples to a DGNTI-accredited laboratory to complete safety and EMC testing. Holders of valid CB reports can apply for certificate conversion with partial test items exempted.
- Review and assessment: The authority reviews technical documents and test reports, and some product categories require an additional factory inspection.
- Certificate issuance: After passing the review, the conformity certificate is issued, and products can be marketed after affixing the RTN registration mark.
WANVE, as a professional technical service organization, provides one-stop full compliance support for enterprise export.