On August 11, 2026, the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) and the National Certification and Accreditation Administration (CNCA) unveiled a landmark suite of five certification and accreditation sector standards for the automotive semiconductor sector. Approved under CNCA Announcement No. 15 of 2026, this framework establishes the world’s first national-level capability evaluation system for institutions across the entire automotive chip value chain, marking a major institutional breakthrough in building a self-reliant and quality-assured automotive chip ecosystem in China.
Effective from October 1, 2026, the five sector standards include:
- RB/T 133-2026 General evaluation requirements for certification and review of automotive chip institutions
- RB/T 134-2026 Guidelines for evaluating basic capabilities of automotive chip design institutions
- RB/T 222-2026 General requirements for evaluating basic capabilities of automotive chip certification bodies
- RB/T 247-2026 General requirements for evaluating basic capabilities of automotive chip testing institutions
- RB/T 248-2026 Guidelines for evaluating computing chip testing capabilities of automotive chip testing institutions
Automotive chips are central to intelligent connected vehicles and are increasingly regarded as a strategic resource worldwide. For years, the absence of a unified evaluation system in China has posed challenges for domestically produced chips seeking vehicle integration, including high entry barriers and limited market confidence, which have constrained their large-scale adoption.
The newly released standards are designed to address these gaps by establishing a comprehensive institutional capability evaluation regime for the automotive chip sector. They set out general requirements for certification and review activities, while also providing specialized guidance for design houses, certification bodies, testing laboratories, and computing-chip specialists. The intent is to enhance professionalism, consistency, and transparency across certification and review processes, thereby facilitating a smoother quality chain from R&D to production-vehicle deployment.
Looking ahead, the SAMR and the CNCA have indicated their commitment to advancing the implementation of the standards and strengthening their role in market oversight. The move is expected to support the continued growth of China’s new-energy vehicle sector and contribute to the country’s long-term industrial and quality development strategies.
These developments offer European stakeholders both greater clarity in market access rules and a signal that China’s automotive chip ecosystem is moving toward greater maturity and self-reliance. How these standards are implemented in practice, and whether they can be effectively aligned with internationally established frameworks, will be key points of observation for all parties involved. The extent to which they facilitate or reshape Europe – China cooperation in the automotive semiconductor sector remains to be seen.
