GB, GB/T, JB/T: what Chinese standards mean in documents

In the passport or on the nameplate of a Chinese item there is often a line like "GB/T 755-2019" or "JB/T 7123-93". It is a reference to the standard to which the item was made or tested. The letters show the kind of standard: GB is a mandatory national standard, GB/T a recommended national one, JB/T an industry standard for mechanical engineering. The first number is the standard's number, the second the year of the edition. Such a reference is normal practice. But in Uzbekistan it does not by itself confirm conformity: assessment is done under local rules.

How Chinese standards are organized

The kinds of standards are set by the PRC Standardization Law as revised in 2017, in force since 1 January 2018. By the law there are five kinds of standards.

Mandatory standards concern the health and life of people, property, safety and the environment. The other kinds must not be lower than the mandatory requirements.

The letter T in the designation comes from the Chinese for "recommended". The letter Z is "guiding". It is not a version number.

How to read the designation

Example: GB/T 755-2019.

• GB/T is a national recommended standard;
• 755 is the standard's number;
• 2019 is the year of the edition.

One number can have several editions. GB/T 755-2008 and GB/T 755-2019 are different texts. So the year in the reference matters: ask the plant for exactly the edition named in the passport.

Old standards wrote the year with two digits: JB/T 7123-93 is the year 1993. That is how it is written, for example, on the nameplate of the YCT adjustable-speed motor in our catalog.

Industry codes

An industry standard is designated by an industry code and the letter T. The list of codes is approved and published by China's standardization authority; we did not find an official list in open form. From secondary sources the following are common:

The table is given as a guide. Check the meaning of a specific code against the standard itself.

How to relate it to ISO and IEC

China takes part in international standardization: the Standardization Administration of China (SAC) is a full member of ISO and represents China in the IEC. Many GB/T standards are adopted international ones.

The degree of match with an international standard is marked with three labels:

The label is written in the foreword of the standard or in the catalog. According to open catalogs, GB/T 755 corresponds to IEC 60034-1 (general requirements for electrical machines) with the degree IDT. This is information from catalog descriptions; we did not open the text itself.

For choosing a replacement this is useful. If a motor is made to a standard identical to the IEC, its dimensions and nameplate data are comparable with European motors. If only an enterprise standard Q/ is given, compare by dimensions and characteristics, not by the reference.

Where to find the text

China has a state system of public access to national standards (openstd.samr.gov.cn). The mandatory GB standards there can mostly be read and downloaded. For some GB/T the full text is available, for others only the description. The texts are in Chinese. For some standards official English versions are posted. Industry standards are looked up on the ministries' separate platforms.

Sites that sell translations of Chinese standards are sometimes closed or give only the description. A translation from such a site is not official.

What to do with a GB reference at import

• Do not confuse it with your own certification. Conformity with a Chinese GB is checked by the Chinese side. In Uzbekistan products undergo conformity assessment under their own technical regulations and lists. In detail, see the article on certificates.
• Ask the plant for test reports under the standard named. They will be useful to the conformity assessment body.
• Check the edition year. If the passport shows an old edition, ask by which one your lot was tested.
• A mandatory GB for motors is, for example, GB 18613 on the energy efficiency of electric motors. Meeting it indicates the minimum efficiency for the Chinese market. The class on the international IE scale is better asked from the plant directly.

How we do it

• Before shipment we check the standard references in the passport against the contract and the item's nameplate.
• We request test reports and plant documents needed for conformity assessment from the manufacturer in advance.
• If an item has no standard reference, we ask for the dimensions and characteristics by which it can be compared with a replacement.