UKCA vs CE Marking for Great Britain Imports
Published by Aeonix Trade.
For Great Britain, CE marking is still recognised alongside UKCA. GOV.UK's guidance, updated 21 August 2026 and read on 10 November 2026, says that where UK product rules still meet the UK's needs, the UK continues to recognise the CE marking, alongside or in place of UKCA, under the Product Safety and Metrology (Amendment) Regulations 2024. The same page sets a placement clock: the UKCA mark may sit on a label fixed to the product, or on a document with the product, until 11pm on 31 December 2027. Businesses may also put UKCA on the product itself. That 2027 clock is about where the mark sits. It is not an expiry of CE recognition. A kettle from Guangdong for Manchester is decided by opening that page the week you print, then naming the product regulation for the kettle.
Send whether the carton is for Great Britain, Northern Ireland, or both so the print spec follows the matching GOV.UK page.
Three markets, three pages
| Market on the invoice | Rule you can use this week |
|---|---|
| England, Scotland, Wales | CE remains recognised under the 2024 regulations, alongside or instead of UKCA. UKCA may be on a label or an accompanying document until 11pm on 31 December 2027. Some sectors, including construction products, medical devices, and marine equipment, have their own rules on the same page. |
| Northern Ireland | The NI guide, updated 8 April 2026, says the UKNI mark is never used alone. It accompanies an EU mark such as CE, and it is applied where a UK-based notified body assessed the product. |
| European Union only | EU CE rules. The GB recognition sentence does not travel with a shipment that never enters Great Britain. See CE marking for products from China. |
The GB guidance also says manufacturers prepare a technical file under both the UKCA and CE routes, and that an importer established in the UK indicates identification details on the product and checks that the manufacturer carried out the conformity assessment. For products imported from an EEA state, or in some cases Switzerland, before 11pm on 31 December 2027, the importer's details may sit in an accompanying document or on the packaging instead of on the product. Customs and VAT for the United Kingdom are on importing from China to the UK. Laboratory planning is on product testing for imports from China.
What buyers ask
Can I ship the EU version to Great Britain and stop?
The guidance says CE is recognised for the Great Britain market under the 2024 regulations, and it tells you to read the product regulations. Sector pages sit outside these regimes for some goods. Open the page the week you ship.
Do I have to add UKCA as well?
The page presents recognised CE and UKCA as a choice of conformity process, with listed sectors that do not follow the general placement rule. Add UKCA when that is the route you are relying on. Do not add it as decoration on a sector the page treats separately.
Name the product and the UK market on the RFQ if the dieline should wait for that reading.
Sources
- GOV.UK: UKCA or CE on the Great Britain market. Updated 21 August 2026. Read 10 November 2026.
- GOV.UK: CE or CE and UKNI in Northern Ireland. Updated 8 April 2026. Read 10 November 2026.
- GOV.UK collection: UKCA and CE regimes. As of 10 November 2026.
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