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Originally Posted by nomadking
So how do non-EU countries deal with CE certification? The manufacturers are the ones that state whether it is CE certified or not. There are cases currently where products are imported that are not safe. Just goes to show it's a bogus issue on the part of the EU. In theory a German firm can manufacture items which don't meet EU regulations, as long as they don't sell them in the EEA. In theory somebody in Ireland will be able to go to NI, and buy an item that is not CE certified, but is ok for sale in the UK, if the UK changes any rules. No different to the current EU setup. Somebody could travel to the US and bring back a non-CE certified product, all legal and above board. As far as the EU should be concerned, there should be no issues with this, until and if the UK changes any product rules. Chances are any UK rules will be broadly similar or above and beyond any EU rules. Little point in a manufacturer making a product that is ok to sell the UK, but not in the EU.
If anything we are the ones with potential to complain if we have higher product standards, but have to allow lower standard EU products to be sold here.
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Here's an article on what might happen on the subject of CE marking port Brexit -
https://machinerysafety101.com/2018/...presentatives/
Basically, some directives require the 'Authorised Representative' who assures and issues the CE marking to be based in the EU. Post Brexit, it may be the case that the UK based Authorised Representatives are no longer authorised so CE marking issued by these people may no longer be valid. There's no trust in regulated environments, it's all 'prove it' and show how you proved it robustly. It's these horrible regulatory things that keep me in a job (though in medicines rather than CE marking)
You are right that the UK may well keep standards at or above the requirements of the EU directives. There is a great deal of working internationally to try and harmonise standards as the cost of different standards is significant for manufacturers. The International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH)is a good example of this, bringing together Europe, the US and Japan initially with many other joining.
However, the alignment of standards is political as well as technical. It's part of the reason TTIP stalled.
Products are certainly made in the EU without CE marking for export markets. These products are considered to not be 'placed on the market' in the EU. There are some differences between UL certified machinery and CE marked items for example. I have had customers try and buy UL certified machinery for export to the US and we are simply unable to sell them in the EU as they are not items 'placed on the market' and therefore illegal to sell.