[SMM Analysis] Civil Aviation Safety Cannot Be Ignored: How Will the New Regulations on Power Banks Reshape the Ecosystem of the Lithium Battery Consumer Industry?

SMM June 27 News:

The "Notice on Strengthening the Safety Management of Lithium Battery Transportation in Civil Aviation," recently issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), explicitly stipulates that starting from June 28, power banks without 3C certification, those with unclear certification marks, and those from recalled batches are completely prohibited from entering the domestic flight transportation system. The introduction of this policy has not only sparked widespread concern among passengers but also brought profound impacts to the development of the lithium battery industry. Previous market spot checks revealed that the pass rate of mobile power banks had long hovered between 60% and 80%, while the new national standard requires battery cells to pass rigorous tests such as nail penetration and thermal abuse. This directly led to the elimination of small and medium-sized producers relying on inferior battery cells. For example, almost all of ROMOSS's products were withdrawn from the market due to the suspension of 3C certification, and leading brands like Anker and Xiaomi were also forced to recall millions of products due to battery cell issues from their supplier Amprius.

The significant safety risks associated with lithium batteries in air transportation scenarios are the core factors driving this policy adjustment. During the cruise phase of a flight, cabin pressure drops to approximately 0.7 standard atmospheres. In this environment, gases inside lithium batteries expand due to pressure changes, causing the battery separator to thin and thereby increasing the risk of internal short circuits. When batteries are in a charging or discharging state, the heat generated by electrochemical reactions cannot be dissipated in time, further exacerbating the risk of thermal runaway. According to civil aviation safety data statistics, fire incidents caused by power banks accounted for 38% of global aviation lithium battery accidents in 2024, underscoring the urgency of strengthening safety controls.

From the perspective of passenger transportation safety management, this policy has had a direct impact on passenger travel behavior. According to the current 3C certification implementation rules, most power banks produced before August 1, 2024, have not undergone mandatory certification and will be included in the prohibited transportation category. During actual security checks, passengers carrying non-compliant power banks will face options such as temporary storage, handing over to relatives or friends, or abandoning the items on-site. Given that lithium batteries are classified as Category 9 dangerous goods in the air transportation hazardous materials list and prohibited from being transported via air cargo channels, passengers must replace their non-compliant products before traveling to avoid delays.

For the lithium battery industry, the impacts of this policy adjustment are multifaceted. At the quality control level, the new regulations have significantly raised the industry's entry barriers. According to GB 31241-2022 "Safety Requirements for Lithium-ion Batteries and Battery Packs for Portable Electronic Products," power banks must pass 15 safety tests, including nail penetration, compression, overcharging, and overdischarging. This forces enterprises to increase investments in battery cell material R&D, battery management system (BMS) optimization, and shell flame-retardant performance improvement. Taking the industry spot-check data from 2024 as an example, among the power bank products that failed the 3C certification, 52% had issues with false labeling of battery cell capacity, and 37% had BMS that could not achieve over-temperature protection. Such products will gradually be phased out of the market.

At the technological innovation level, policies drive the industry towards high safety and intelligence. In terms of industry chain collaboration, policy adjustments trigger changes across the entire chain. Upstream battery cell and material suppliers need to enhance product consistency and reliability to meet the certification requirements of downstream manufacturers and eliminate industry chaos such as "re-toll processing". Midstream manufacturing enterprises reduce operational pressure caused by increased certification costs through lean production management and optimization of digital supply chain systems. Meanwhile, enterprises begin to explore differentiated market strategies, developing customized products for niche scenarios such as business travel and outdoor sports to expand market space.

In summary, although the implementation of the new regulations on power bank transportation bans by the Civil Aviation Administration may cause some inconvenience to travelers in the short term, from a long-term perspective of industry development, this policy will drive the lithium battery industry towards standardization and high-quality transformation. By strengthening safety standards, it promotes technological upgrades and industrial integration of enterprises, ultimately achieving an improvement in the overall competitiveness of the industry and providing consumers with safer and higher-quality lithium battery products.

SMM New Energy Research Team

Cong Wang 021-51666838

Rui Ma 021-51595780

Disheng Feng 021-51666714

Yanlin Lv 021-20707875