China GB and GB/T Standards Quick Reference Table
Chinese drawings, test reports and factory audit findings cite GB and GB/T numbers that mean little to a buyer who works in ISO, IEC or ASTM. This table lets you search by number, subject or area and see the nearest international standard.
| Standard | Subject | Status | Area | Nearest international standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
GB 4943.1 | Safety of audio/video, information and communication technology equipment | Mandatory | Electrical safety | IEC 62368-1 (related) |
GB 4706.1 | Household and similar electrical appliances, general safety requirements | Mandatory | Electrical safety | IEC 60335-1 |
GB 7000.1 | Luminaires, general requirements and tests | Mandatory | Electrical safety | IEC 60598-1 |
GB 5226.1 | Electrical safety of machinery, electrical equipment of machines | Mandatory | Machinery | IEC 60204-1 |
GB 14048 | Low-voltage switchgear and controlgear (series) | Mandatory | Electrical | IEC 60947 series |
GB 3836 | Explosive atmospheres, equipment protection (series) | Mandatory | Hazardous areas | IEC 60079 series |
GB 17625.1 | Limits for harmonic current emissions | Mandatory | EMC | IEC 61000-3-2 |
GB 31241 | Lithium-ion cells and batteries for portable electronic equipment, safety | Mandatory | Batteries | IEC 62133 (related, not identical) |
GB 38031 | Electric vehicles traction battery safety requirements | Mandatory | Batteries | UN GTR 20 (related) |
GB 2894 | Safety signs and guidelines for the use | Mandatory | EHS | ISO 7010 (related) |
GB 6675 | Safety of toys (series) | Mandatory | Consumer products | ISO 8124 series (related) |
GB 18401 | National general safety technical code for textile products | Mandatory | Consumer products | None direct |
GB 4806.1 | Food contact materials and articles, general safety requirements | Mandatory | Food contact | None direct |
GB 14881 | Food production, general hygiene practice | Mandatory | Food | Codex general principles (related) |
GB 7258 | Motor vehicles, technical conditions for operation safety | Mandatory | Automotive | None direct |
GB 18597 | Hazardous waste storage, pollution control standard | Mandatory | Environment | None direct |
GB 16297 | Integrated emission standard of air pollutants | Mandatory | Environment | None direct |
GB 8978 | Integrated wastewater discharge standard | Mandatory | Environment | None direct |
GB 12348 | Emission standard for industrial enterprises noise at boundary | Mandatory | Environment | None direct |
GB 32100 | Legal entity and organization unified social credit code | Mandatory | Business data | None direct |
GB 18030 | Chinese coded character set (extends GBK) | Mandatory | Software and data | Unicode mapping |
GB/T 19001 | Quality management systems, requirements | Recommended | Management systems | ISO 9001 |
GB/T 24001 | Environmental management systems, requirements | Recommended | Management systems | ISO 14001 |
GB/T 45001 | Occupational health and safety management systems | Recommended | Management systems | ISO 45001 |
GB/T 19022 | Measurement management systems | Recommended | Metrology | ISO 10012 |
GB/T 2828.1 | Sampling procedures for inspection by attributes, lot-by-lot (AQL) | Recommended | Inspection | ISO 2859-1, ANSI/ASQ Z1.4 (related) |
GB/T 2829 | Periodic inspection procedures by attributes | Recommended | Inspection | None direct |
GB/T 1804 | General tolerances for linear and angular dimensions | Recommended | Drawings | ISO 2768 |
GB/T 1800.1 | Limits and fits, basis of tolerances and deviations | Recommended | Drawings | ISO 286-1 |
GB/T 3098.1 | Mechanical properties of fasteners, bolts, screws and studs | Recommended | Fasteners | ISO 898-1 |
GB/T 4208 | Degrees of protection provided by enclosures (IP code) | Recommended | Electrical | IEC 60529 |
GB/T 2423 | Environmental testing for electric and electronic products (series) | Recommended | Reliability | IEC 60068 series |
GB/T 10125 | Corrosion tests in artificial atmospheres, salt spray tests | Recommended | Reliability | ISO 9227 |
GB/T 4857 | Packaging, basic tests for transport packages (series) | Recommended | Packaging | Related to ISTA and ASTM D4169 methods |
GB/T 700 | Carbon structural steels | Recommended | Materials | EN 10025 (related) |
GB/T 699 | Quality carbon structural steels | Recommended | Materials | EN 10083 (related) |
GB/T 3077 | Alloy structural steels | Recommended | Materials | EN 10083 (related) |
GB/T 1220 | Stainless steel bars | Recommended | Materials | ASTM A276 (related) |
GB/T 20878 | Stainless and heat-resisting steels, designations and chemical composition | Recommended | Materials | ASTM A240 and EN 10088 (related) |
GB/T 3190 | Wrought aluminium and aluminium alloys, chemical composition | Recommended | Materials | ASTM B209 and EN 573 (related) |
GB/T 9439 | Grey iron castings | Recommended | Materials | EN 1561 and ASTM A48 (related) |
GB/T 1348 | Ductile iron castings | Recommended | Materials | EN 1563 and ASTM A536 (related) |
GB/T 16895 | Low-voltage electrical installations (series) | Recommended | Electrical | IEC 60364 series |
GB/T 2260 | Codes for administrative divisions of the PRC | Recommended | Business data | None direct |
GB/T 4754 | Industrial classification for national economic activities | Recommended | Business data | ISIC (related) |
GB/T 7408 | Data elements and interchange formats, date and time | Recommended | Software and data | ISO 8601 |
GB 12904 | Commodity bar code, retail commodity bar code | Mandatory | Labeling | GS1 EAN/UPC (related) |
Standard numbers omit the year of issue on purpose. Editions are revised and replaced, so confirm the current edition and whether your product scope is covered before you cite a standard in a contract. Related means similar subject, not necessarily technically identical.
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How to use the table
Type a number such as GB 5226.1, a subject such as stainless, or an area such as Environment into the search box. The Status column tells you whether the standard is mandatory or recommended. Use the Nearest international standard column as a starting point for conversations with a supplier's engineers, then request the actual standard text before accepting a claim of equivalence. Export the filtered rows to Excel if you want to attach them to a supplier quality agreement or an audit plan.
GB versus GB/T
In the national system, a plain GB prefix marks a mandatory standard and GB/T marks a recommended one. A recommended standard becomes binding when it is cited in a contract, a drawing or a mandatory regulation. Industry standards use other prefixes, for example JB for machinery, YB for metallurgy and HG for chemicals, and company standards are often tighter than either. When a supplier says a part meets GB, ask whether it means a mandatory GB or a GB/T and which edition.
- GB: mandatory, legal minimum for the covered scope
- GB/T: recommended, binding only when invoked
- JB, YB, HG and similar: industry standards
- Q/ prefix: enterprise standards owned by the factory
Equivalence is rarely exact
A GB number that maps to an IEC or ISO number may differ in test conditions, limits or national deviations. GB 31241 for portable batteries, for example, is related to IEC 62133 but is a separate document with its own requirements, and GB 4943.1 follows the IEC 62368-1 hazard-based approach with national differences. For anything safety critical, ask for a gap analysis or test to both standards instead of assuming a certificate for one covers the other.
Common mistakes
Buyers often cite a standard without an edition, which lets a supplier use an older, looser version. Another mistake is treating a management system standard such as GB/T 19001 as a product approval. It is not; it is the national adoption of ISO 9001 and says nothing about whether a specific product passes mandatory certification. Keep product conformity (CCC scope, test reports) separate from system certification in your supplier files.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between GB and GB/T?
GB is a mandatory national standard. GB/T is a recommended national standard that is not legally binding on its own but becomes binding when a contract, drawing or mandatory regulation refers to it. Always confirm the edition cited.
Is GB/T 19001 the same as ISO 9001?
GB/T 19001 is the Chinese national adoption of ISO 9001, so the requirements are aligned. A GB/T 19001 certificate from an accredited body is generally treated as a quality management system certificate, but it is not a product approval.
Can I use this table for compliance sign-off?
No. It is a navigation aid. Standards are revised, scopes are limited, and equivalence claims need technical review. Obtain the current official text and confirm applicability with a qualified lab or regulator before sign-off.
Why does the table show no years?
Editions change, and a stale year in a quick reference is worse than none. Look up the current edition on the official national standards platform or through your test lab before you cite it in a contract.
If you keep approved standards, test reports and supplier documents in an ERP or file share, Netray can build a private, on-prem assistant that answers questions over those documents with citations.
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