Passengers queue up to check in for a flight to Kuala Lumpur at Haikou Meilan International Airport in Haikou, South China's Hainan Province, on May 30, 2025. Photo: VCG

 
Responding to public concerns over the 3C certification (China Compulsory Certification) of portable power banks as the products without a 3C certification mark are banned on domestic flights, an official from China's market regulator said that the 3C is a mandatory market access system implemented by China to protect consumer safety, national security, and the environment, the People's Daily reported on Thursday. 

In recent years, fires and other accidents caused by portable power banks have posed threats to consumer safety and public security. To strengthen product supervision, the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), following the State Council's guidelines on reforming the electrical and electronic industry, issued a notice in March 2023 mandating that power banks and their key component -lithium-ion batteries -undergo the 3C certification. 

Starting from August 1, 2024, the power banks and battery cells without the 3C certification were not be manufactured, sold, imported, or used in business activities, the SAMR official told the People's Daily.

The certification requires rigorous testing of key safety metrics, such as charge-discharge temperature control, high-temperature external short circuit, drops, and crushing, according to the national standards. It also involves inspections of manufacturers' quality assurance and product consistency to ensure compliance.

Starting from August 1, 2024, all portable power banks on sale must bear the 3C certification mark, and selling non-certified power banks violates product quality laws. Consumers may continue using non-recalled power banks purchased before this date, but they must comply with relevant regulations when using them on public transportation, according to the official. 

The official warned that 3C certification labels are not legally sold in the market, and consumers should avoid purchasing or using labels advertised online.

China, the world's largest producer and consumer of portable power banks, reached a market size of $1.046 billion in 2024, accounting for more than 30 percent of the global total, according to the People's Daily report. 

Previously, China's civil aviation sector regulator, the Civil Aviation Administration of China, said the recent ban on certain power banks on domestic flights was prompted by safety concerns, citing battery-related aviation incidents worldwide and the risks posed by lithium-ion batteries in portable chargers, according to another People's Daily report. 

Global Times