Interpretation of New Regulations on Button Cells in North American,
Button Cells,

▍SIRIM Certification

For the security of person and property, Malaysia government establishes product certification scheme and puts surveillance on electronic appliances, information & multimedia and construction materials. Controlled products can be exported to Malaysia only after obtaining product certification certificate and labeling. 

▍SIRIM QAS

SIRIM QAS, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Malaysian Institute of Industry Standards, is the only designated certification unit of the Malaysian national regulatory agencies (KDPNHEP, SKMM, etc.).

The secondary battery certification is designated by KDPNHEP (Malaysian Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs) as the sole certification authority. Currently, manufacturers, importers and traders can apply for certification to SIRIM QAS and apply for the testing and certification of secondary batteries under the licensed certification mode.

▍SIRIM Certification- Secondary Battery

Secondary battery is currently subject to voluntary certification but it is going to be in the scope of mandatory certification soon. The exact mandatory date is subject to the official Malaysian announcement time.  SIRIM QAS has already started accepting certification requests.

Secondary battery certification Standard : MS IEC 62133:2017 or IEC 62133:2012

▍Why MCM?

● Established a good technical exchange and information exchange channel with SIRIM QAS who assigned a specialist to handle with MCM projects and inquiries only and to share the latest precisely information of this area.

● SIRIM QAS recognizes MCM testing data so that samples can be tested in MCM instead of delivering to Malaysia.

● To provide one-stop service for Malaysian certification of batteries, adapters and mobile phones.

Reese’s Law, signed by President Joe Biden in memory of Reese Hammersmith, an 18-month-old baby girl in the United States who tragically died after accidentally ingesting a button battery, was enacted on August 16, 2022. In order to protect children aged 6 and under from accidental swallowing of button batteries that cause bodily damage, the requirement to develop relevant standards and regulations was put forward. Within 1 year of enactment, i.e., by August 16, 2023, the Commission will promulgate final safety standards for button batteries or button cells and consumer products containing button batteries and cells. A draft of the safety standard has been issued, and these requirements are proposed to be added to 16 CFR Part 1263. The Commission proposes to amend 16 CFR as follows:No. 1263.1: Scope, purpose, effective date, units, and exemptions
The draft provides the basic definition, scope, performance and labeling requirements for products such as button cells or coin cells. And after the enactment of the bill, all button cell or button battery products or products and packaging for such batteries must meet the performance and labeling requirements. This time, the authors will focus on explaining the performance and labeling requirements.