China’s power bank industry is currently facing an unprecedented safety crisis. Since mid-June, industry leaders Anker Innovation and Romaxi have successively issued large-scale recall announcements involving over 2 million products both domestically and internationally, all due to potential combustion risks stemming from quality issues with the battery cells. This crisis not only exposes vulnerabilities in the supply chain management but also exacerbates the industry’s trust crisis, as delivery services widely refuse to accept power banks, making it difficult for consumers to return them.
Romaxi, a leading giant in China’s power bank industry, initiated a large-scale recall plan on June 16, involving over 490,000 portable chargers. The announcement stated that due to issues with the raw materials of certain battery cells, some products may experience overheating during use and pose combustion risks under extreme circumstances.
Following suit, Anker Innovation announced on June 20 a recall of 713,000 units of 7 models of power banks in the Chinese market and recalled 1.158 million units of PowerCore 10000 models in the US market, totaling approximately 1.87 million units. Anker Innovation stated that certain batches of battery cells supplied by a vendor were altered without proper authorization, potentially leading to insulation membrane failure, which could in turn trigger overheating or combustion safety hazards.
To properly handle the recalls, Anker Innovation offers three compensation options: full refunds, free replacement, and distribution of mall vouchers (original order amount + 50 yuan). Romaxi also promises free replacement or refund services for eligible consumers.
However, consumers faced unexpected obstacles when trying to return the recalled power banks. Several courier companies refused to pick them up, citing safety risks, leaving consumers in a dilemma of being unable to return the products.
According to reports by 21st Century Economic News, Interface News, and Te Du News, Ms. Chen from Sichuan revealed that she tried multiple courier companies but failed to send back her Romaxi power bank for recall. “Some said the shipping address was abnormal and couldn’t place an order, some stated that they cannot deliver power banks with a capacity of 20,000 mAh, and some directly refused to deliver any power banks.”
Mr. Peng from Guangdong also encountered similar issues. After applying for a recall of his Anker power bank, customer service sent him a fireproof bag and arranged for a courier to pick it up, but the courier company refused to accept it, claiming the power bank was a prohibited item and advising him to cancel the order.
Media investigations found that a number of courier companies, including YTO Express, ZTO Express, Yunda, STO Express, and Jitu Express, clearly rejected lithium battery products. SF Express customer service stated that to prevent the risk of spontaneous combustion, they had entirely suspended the collection of batteries and mobile power products, including the controversial Romaxi power banks. Previously, SF Express was the only domestic courier company with transportation qualifications for lithium batteries.
Courier company officials explained reasons for rejection: “Used power banks pose significant safety hazards. Vibrations during transport can cause problematic battery cells to ignite, and once they catch fire, insurance cannot cover the losses.”
Currently, only JD Express and China Post accept power bank shipments, but they require the battery capacity not to exceed 20,000 mAh and are limited to land transportation.
Facing the challenge of courier rejection, Anker Innovation and Romaxi have introduced a “self-handling” alternative, requiring consumers to deplete the battery, soak it in saltwater for safe disposal, record a video, and submit it to customer service for review.
Anker Innovation staff stated that returning the products is the preferred option, as “risks should not be left in the hands of users.” The self-handling guidelines are only a backup for extreme situations. It is reported that after the recall announcement, user inquiries surged by 10 times, with about 20% of users opting for full refunds, while the rest chose replacement or vouchers.
The root cause of this large-scale recall points to the upstream battery cell supplier Amprius (Wuxi) Co., Ltd. Industry sources indicate that Amprius outsourced some battery cells, and the subcontractor illegally modified the raw materials, leading to membrane failure.
Certification information from the China Market Supervision Administration shows that all 3C certificates for Amprius batteries/cells were suspended or revoked in June, and related models of battery cells cannot continue to be supplied. This directly resulted in the suspension of 3C certifications for portable power banks for multiple brands including Romaxi, Anker Innovation, Green Union Technology, and BesTech.
On June 26, the Civil Aviation Administration of China issued a ban prohibiting the boarding of power banks without 3C certification or recalled models, sparking widespread attention. Many older power banks were detained during airport security checks due to the absence of the 3C label.
This crisis has exposed the weaknesses in the power bank industry’s supply chain management. Industry insiders point out that internal competition has led to safety issues being overlooked, and the fundamental reason is the cost-cutting competition driving the reduction of materials used. Brands lack strict approval and reporting mechanisms for suppliers in critical components, thus lacking a rigorous approval system.