The legal obligation to indicate the importer’s details on the label (or on the packaging) is a problem when the exporting company has several importers in the UK. This is the main reason for many companies that decide to use a UK Authorized Representative.
It is not, however, the only one. Hiring an Authorized Representative, whether it is a person or a registered company, has undoubted advantages (legal and technical) that should be fully exploited.
What factors must be taken into account to correctly choose an Authorized Representative in the United Kingdom?
Here we indicate them, schematically:
Variables to take into account to choose an Authorized Representative
Each UKCA Declaration of Conformity must be supported by a technical file that demonstrates the compliance of the product to the applicable regulations. Many companies actually have the technical documentation before issuing the Declaration, but others export to the United Kingdom without it, knowing that they will have 15 days to submit it, in the event of a requirement from the surveillance agencies.
Some Authorized Representatives want to see the complete technical file to accept the appointment. Professionally, they have technical profiles, so they can offer at the same their guidance drawing up the technical file and the subsequent storage. Their functions go beyond the simple fulfillment of a legal obligation.
This type of Authorized Representative, specialized in certain Regulations, performs an important function of monitoring and controlling regulatory changes. When the so-called “divergence” (for example, the adoption of a new Standard in the United Kingdom) would affect the products of one of its represented companies, the Representative will promptly inform the client by proposing updates in the technical documentation or even in the products design.
If a proper technical file is not available, it is possible to find Representatives who either accept incomplete documentation or directly do not require the technical file from their clients. In most cases, these profiles do not perform tasks beyond allowing the use of their name.
Another factor when choosing the Authorized Representative is the number of references (and corresponding technical files) to be exported to the UK. Some Representatives charge a flat rate for either 20 references or 200 or 2,000, others, most, have rates in proportion to the number of technical files.
We do not act as an Authorized Representative, but we have agreements with several partners that offer this service according to different modalities. Now that you know the most relevant aspects when choosing your partner in the United Kingdom, contact us to find out rates and conditions adapted to your needs!