Acrylic sheet certifications for export are a matching exercise before they are a compliance exercise. A German distributor had a container of 5 mm clear cast acrylic held at Hamburg for eleven days. The invoice said PMMA, the packing list said acrylic, the certificate of origin was correct, and the REACH declaration on file covered a different grade from a different plant. Customs did not question the material; they questioned whether the paperwork described it.
Export documentation for acrylic sheet is a matching exercise. Every certificate has to name the same grade, the same plant and the same batch range as the invoice. A technically valid document that points at a different product is worse than no document at all, because it creates a discrepancy that has to be resolved before release.
The acrylic sheet certifications a buyer should hold
- RoHS declaration naming the grade and the maximum concentration of restricted substances, valid for the shipment date.
- REACH SVHC statement, with the current candidate list version referenced, and a statement on the percentage of any listed substance.
- Fire performance evidence: a classification report to EN 13501-1 or an ASTM E84 result, with the thickness tested.
- Quality system certificate, ISO 9001, with the scope covering sheet production rather than only trading.
- Certificate of origin and, for regulated markets, a food-contact or UL listing only where the end use actually requires it.
Two of those documents are frequently confused. RoHS is about electrical and electronic equipment and applies to the homogeneous material; REACH is about substances in the article and applies to every shipment into the EU. A supplier who sends only a RoHS declaration for a construction panel has answered a question the buyer did not ask.
The three mismatches that stop a container
First, the grade name on the declaration does not match the grade on the carton. Second, the declaration is for a 3 mm sheet and the shipment is 6 mm, which changes the fire classification. Third, the SVHC version referenced is two years old. Any of the three turns a routine clearance into a hold, and the fix costs more than the certificate.
Fire documentation deserves its own check because classification is thickness-specific. A sheet classified B-s1,d0 at 3 mm may not carry the same class at 8 mm without a test at that thickness. If the project needs a class, ask for the report at the delivered thickness, not at a convenient one.
For shipments where the packing itself is part of the compliance story, our checklist for acrylic and PC sheet export packing covers the marking and moisture protection that customs and insurers both look at.
Where the end use is electrical or a machine guard, the UL 94 evidence is separate from the EU declarations, and the article on UL 94 evidence for acrylic and PC sheets explains what a yellow card has to show for the thickness and colour being bought.
How to keep the set current
Keep one folder per grade, and refresh it when the grade, the plant or the regulation changes. Ask the supplier to date each declaration and to state the validity period, because an undated certificate is treated as unverified by most auditors. Review the set once a year against the current SVHC list rather than at the moment a shipment is booked.
Send the destination market, end use and required class to oversales@rpplexiglass.com, and we will return the document set that matches the grade and thickness you are buying, dated for the shipment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is RoHS required for acrylic sheet?
RoHS applies where the sheet becomes part of electrical or electronic equipment, for example a display window or a machine guard on a control cabinet. For a construction or signage panel it is usually not the relevant regime, and the REACH declaration is the one customs will ask for.
What is the difference between RoHS and REACH for acrylic?
RoHS restricts ten substances in electrical equipment and is declared per homogeneous material. REACH covers substances of very high concern in any article placed on the EU market and requires an SVHC statement per shipment. Both can apply to the same sheet, and they are not interchangeable.
Can you supply a fire certificate at my thickness?
Yes, where a test at that thickness exists or a new test is arranged. Fire classification is thickness-dependent, so a report for 3 mm does not cover 8 mm. Tell us the delivered thickness and the class required, and we will confirm what can be evidenced.