UL vs. CE product symbols on products

Q. I am familiar with the Underwriters Laboratories symbol, but now everything I see is imprinted with the stylized CE. What does it stand for?—David Hand, Chula Vista, CA

A. "CE" stands for Conformité Européenne, which indicates that a product meets certain European manufacturing requirements. In the U.S., we have a voluntary standards process; it's not a government requirement. So the UL signifies that a given product has met certain U.S. standards as determined by an independent certifying agency.

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