In June, multiple Chinese power bank brands, including top sellers such as ROMOSS and Anker Innovations, launched large-scale recalls involving more than one million units due to safety concerns with battery cells. The issue stems from battery supplier Amprius (Wuxi) Co., Ltd., which allegedly made unauthorized material changes to battery cell components, heightening the risk of overheating and even fire.
Starting June 28, China’s Civil Aviation Administration has banned passengers from bringing power banks on board that either lack a 3C (China Compulsory Certification) mark, have unclear labeling, or have been subject to a recall. In recent days, airports across the country have reported a surge in power banks being confiscated at security checkpoints.
A customer service representative from China Railway (12306) confirmed that power banks are still allowed on trains in the country as long as the labeling is clear and the rated energy per unit does not exceed 100Wh. The railway authorities do not currently enforce 3C certification checks.
According to data reported by state-owned media outlet CCTV, there have been 15 incidents this year in which passenger-carried power banks caught fire or emitted smoke during flights.
Timeline of major events:
- June 16: ROMOSS announced the recall of over 490,000 units of portable power banks (based on the production batch number), citing “incoming material issues with some battery cells that could cause overheating or combustion.”
- June 20: Anker Innovations subsequently recalled over 710,000 units, attributing the issue to unapproved material changes in certain batches of battery cells from the supplier, which caused insulation failure in the separators.
- June 26: Both companies identified the same supplier: Amprius (Wuxi) Co., Ltd., which had outsourced battery cell production to a factory in China’s Jiangxi province, according to local media outlet Jiemian. This factory reportedly substituted the separator material without approval, the report said.
- June 30: Amprius has multiple relevant battery and electric cell products whose 3C certificates are currently “suspended”, Cailian Press reported. Amprius serves as the electric cell supplier for several power bank brands, including Xiaomi, UGREEN, and Baseus.
“The rules are a bit all over the place”
On Tuesday, TechNode interviewed a Shanghai citizen, who goes by the pseudonym XiXi, to get her thoughts on the power bank recalls and the new civil aviation rules.
“The main reason for restricting power banks is safety first, which makes sense. But the way the rules are being enforced is a bit all over the place,” XiXi said “Some airports will hold onto your power bank for a couple of days, while others just tell you to throw it away. It ends up being a tricky balance between keeping most people safe and making things inconvenient for a few.
“Recent news about fake or missing certification labels shows they haven’t really fixed the root problems yet,” she continued. “Security checks are taking longer. More practical steps could be giving people high subsidies to swap their old power banks for new safe ones, so their losses are kept as low as possible.”
