SHENZHEN: “It’s a headache, this came all too sudden,” said a power bank vendor at Shenzhen’s Huaqiangbei, the beating heart of China’s electronics trade.

The shop owner, who wanted to be known as Mei, is stuck with more than 100 unsold portable chargers, even after sending hundreds back to the factory. Another vendor told CNA she is staring at thousands of yuan in stranded inventory, as store shelves fill with products no one dares to buy - or fly with.

The sprawling bazaar, billed as the world’s largest electronics market, has been thrown into disarray amid wider upheaval in China’s power bank industry. A string of battery-related safety scares has triggered mass recalls, a sweeping ban on uncertified devices aboard domestic flights and intense public scrutiny.

Retailers are feeling the heat as authorities ramp up enforcement to ensure only compliant portable chargers are sold. Consumers have also found themselves in the line of fire, grappling with confusion over recall notices and difficulties securing refunds and exchanges.

Some users were even told to destroy their portable chargers by soaking them in salt water to qualify for a refund - an instruction that swiftly went viral, prompting a flood of user-submitted photos, along with ridicule and frustration. 

But analysts say there may be a silver lining amid the turmoil - the sweeping crackdown could ultimately raise industry standards and power through long-overdue improvements in safety and compliance.

CHARGING TOWARDS TIGHTER RULES

But first - how did it all come to this?

The latest trigger came on Jun 28, when China enacted a ban on uncertified power banks aboard domestic flights, citing fire risks.

In August 2023, Chinese authorities mandated that power banks and lithium-ion batteries would be subject to China Compulsory Certification (CCC) requirements.

The CCC mark is a mandatory national safety and quality certification. From August 2024, devices without a valid certificate have been banned from being manufactured, sold, imported, or used commercially. Enforcement, however, has been uneven.