Overview

The supplier provides forged CE, RoHS, FDA, or REACH certificates — or genuine ones that are expired, superseded, or issued for a different product — so that goods fail inspection at the destination and get seized, recalled, or fined.

How It Works

  1. Forgery — a Photoshop-made certificate with a fake issuing body, fake number, and fake signature.
  2. Reuse — a certificate issued for another product, another model, or another company.
  3. Expired / lapsed — the certificate was once valid but has expired, or the testing standard has been superseded.
  4. Wrong scope — the certificate covers a different product category, voltage, material, or standard than what you're buying.

Why It's Harmful

  • Customs seizure — non-compliant goods are held, destroyed, or returned at your cost.
  • Recall & fines — selling non-compliant products in the EU/US triggers recalls, penalties, and brand damage.
  • Liability — as the importer, you bear legal responsibility for the product's compliance.

Red Flags

  • Certificate number can't be found on the issuer's website.
  • Certificate is a photo/screenshot, not a verifiable original.
  • The product model or standard on the certificate doesn't match yours.
  • The issuing body is not an accredited/notified body for that directive.
  • The certificate has no validity period, or the period has passed.

Solutions

1. Verify against the issuing body (mandatory)

  • CE — confirm the notified-body number on the EU NANDO database and verify the certificate was actually issued by it.
  • FDA — check the FDA establishment registration (FURLS) and 510(k)/listing status.
  • RoHS / REACH — verify the test report number with SGS/BV/Intertek/TÜV.
  • ISO — verify with the certification body (SGS, TÜV, DNV, BSI, etc.).

2. Check scope and validity

  • Confirm the certificate covers your exact product model, the current standard version, and is within its validity period.
  • Watch for superseded standards (e.g., an old RoHS version).

3. Independent re-testing

  • For regulated products (electronics, toys, food-contact, PPE, medical), commission your own third-party test rather than trusting the supplier's.

4. Contractual warranty

  • Add: "Party B warrants all certifications are genuine, valid, and applicable to the goods; any resulting seizure, fine, or recall is Party B's full liability."

5. Keep a compliance file

  • Maintain a dossier of certificates, test reports, and Declarations of Conformity for every product, ready for customs.

Key Takeaway

A certificate that can't be verified on the issuing body's website is worthless — and a certificate for the wrong product is dangerous. Verify the number, scope, standard version, and validity period, and re-test regulated products yourself. As importer, compliance is ultimately your responsibility.