International Tire Approval Marks
International Tire Approval Marks
Before products can be sold in many countries, tire manufacturers are required to test and certify they meet all applicable safety and performance standards, which can include physical dimensions, sidewall branding and durability, as well as high-speed endurance, road noise, and/or wet traction.
Since many tires are sold globally, tires can be branded with more than one governmental approval code.
United States
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United States Department of Transportation (DOT) |
China
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China Compulsory Certification (CCC) Mark China Compulsory Certification mark for products being exported to or sold in the People’s Republic of China. |
Europe
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United Nations Economic Commission of Europe (U.N.E.C.E.) |
The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (U.N.E.C.E.), commonly referred to as just E.C.E., symbol on a tire's sidewall identifies that the manufacturer certifies the tire meets all regulations, including the load index and speed symbol that appear in its service description.
The letter “e” (or “E”) and number code combination (positioned in a circle or rectangle) identify the country through which an approved tire was originally registered, followed by two digits indicating the Regulation Series under which the tire was approved (such as “02” for E.C.E. Regulation 30 governing passenger tires) followed by digits that represent the E.C.E. mark, type-approval numbers.
Tires that have also been tested and meet the “pass-by” noise limits and wet traction can have a second E.C.E. branding followed by an “-s” (for sound) and “w” (for wet traction). Depending on the extent of tire testing completed, one or two E.C.E. symbols may appear on the tire's sidewall.