New EU regulations are usually seen as another set of obligations for businesses. But every new requirement for manufacturers can also create demand for the companies that help them meet it.
This is already happening with CBAM. In mid-September, there were still no accredited CBAM verifiers in Europe. Now there is one. On 14 September, the Greek accreditation body ESYD extended EmiCert’s accreditation to cover CBAM verification.
The first verification reports can be issued from January 2027. For some Chinese manufacturers, this means finding a European service provider they simply did not need before.
For European companies providing these services, this means a new group of potential customers.
New rules create new demand
If an importer wants to use actual emissions data, the installation producing the goods outside the EU must have that data checked by an independent, properly accredited verifier.
The verifier reviews how emissions are monitored and calculated, checks the documentation and, in some cases, visits the production site.
The potential market is significant. In 2025, China accounted for 11% of EU imports of iron and steel from outside the EU, more than any other single country. A year earlier, China was the EU’s second-largest supplier of aluminium and aluminium products.
Not every manufacturer will need the same type or level of support. But new requirements mean that some Chinese manufacturers will have to buy services in Europe that they did not need before.
CBAM is a particularly good example because this market is taking shape right now.
The first CBAM verifier already has a Chinese owner
EmiCert is also an interesting case because of its connection to China. In November 2025, a company belonging to the Chinese group Centre Testing International (CTI) acquired a 51% stake in EmiCert.
CTI operates in testing, inspection and certification. When announcing the acquisition, the company referred to CBAM and support for Chinese companies expanding overseas as part of the rationale for the investment.
So the first accredited CBAM verifier already has direct links to the Chinese market. The CTI case shows that companies in China are also starting to see the business opportunity behind these new requirements.
European companies can compete for the same customers. But having the right accreditation and expertise is not enough if Chinese manufacturers do not know that the company exists or that it can handle their project.
CBAM is not the only example
The main requirements of the new Machinery Regulation will apply from 20 January 2027. For certain products and procedures, this will involve a notified body. In 2025, the EU imported €106.5 billion worth of machinery and mechanical appliances from China.
The Cyber Resilience Act is already affecting manufacturers as well. Since 11 September 2026, manufacturers of products with digital elements have had new obligations to report actively exploited vulnerabilities and serious security incidents. The CRA will apply in full from December 2027.
In 2025, the EU imported €164.9 billion worth of electrical and electronic equipment from China.
CBAM, the Machinery Regulation and the CRA cover very different products and procedures. But each can create situations in which a Chinese manufacturer needs a European verifier, conformity assessment body or other specialist service provider.
An official list is only the starting point
A European company may assume that if it appears in the right official register, interested customers will find it. For a Chinese manufacturer, it is not that simple.
NANDO can show which bodies are notified, their identification numbers and the areas they cover. It does not answer many of the practical questions that matter when choosing a provider.
Does the company know my industry? Does it work with my type of product? Does it handle projects in China? Can someone visit my factory? What languages can we work in? How soon can the project start?
The list tells a manufacturer who is allowed to provide the service. It does not tell them who they should ask for a quote.
Chinese manufacturers start with a problem
A European company may describe its services as CBAM Verification, Machinery Conformity Assessment or Cybersecurity Certification. And a Chinese manufacturer starts with a specific situation.
An importer has asked for verified emissions data. A customer is asking whether a product complies with EU requirements. The company has discovered that an additional assessment is needed before its product can enter the European market.
Only then does it start looking for a solution and comparing providers.
And it does this within its own information environment, in Chinese, using local search engines, industry media, recommendations, AI tools and business contacts.
A European company may therefore offer exactly the service a manufacturer needs and still never make it onto the list of companies being considered.
Shortlists are built before the deadline
The first CBAM verification reports can be issued from January 2027, but manufacturers will not choose a verifier on the day they need the report.
Before that, they need to find the right company, agree on the scope of work, provide documentation and, where necessary, prepare the factory for a site visit.
For service providers, the months before new requirements take effect are therefore important. This is when manufacturers work out what they need, look for suitable providers and start talking to them.
New demand does not automatically mean new customers. You still need to be visible where Chinese customers are looking for a solution.
Where EnterChina fits in
On Xijinmenhu (西进门户), we are building categories of European B2B services that Chinese companies need when selling and operating in Europe.
Alongside legal services, tax, VAT, EPR, logistics and customs, this increasingly includes testing, certification, verification and conformity assessment.
In these areas, a company name and accreditation number are not enough. A Chinese manufacturer needs to quickly understand what problems a company can solve, which sectors and products it works with, where it can deliver projects and whether it can support a customer from China.
New EU regulations create new obligations for Chinese manufacturers, and some of those obligations translate directly into demand for services in Europe.
When a Chinese manufacturer starts looking for a company to help meet new EU requirements, will they find yours?