No restrictions on carrying power banks on Shanghai Metro

Shanghai Metro passengers can still carry power banks even after China's aviation authority banned devices without a clear 3C (China Compulsory Certification) label on domestic flights last month.

"There are no particular rules for carrying power banks in metro stations," a spokesperson told Shanghai Daily.

According to the Metro rules, commuters are prohibited from bringing flammable, explosive, toxic, harmful, radioactive, or corrosive substances, as well as items with strong or irritating odors, poorly packaged sharp or fragile items, and inflatable balloons.

The clarification follows a new regulation from the Civil Aviation Administration of China, which banned power banks without clear 3C labels, or those from recalled batches, from domestic flights starting June 28.

The civil aviation ruling comes after a string of safety incidents. According to the Xinhua News Agency, 15 power bank-related fires or incidents have been reported on flights in China so far this year. These include a fire on a Busan Air plane in January and another on a Hong Kong Airlines flight in March, both caused by power banks stored in overhead compartments.

Meanwhile, China's rail network has not followed suit.

A representative from 12306, the official train ticketing platform, told state broadcaster CCTV that passengers can carry power banks under 100Wh without needing to show 3C labels or brand names.

Major power bank manufacturers have issued large-scale recalls.

Anker Innovations is recalling 710,000 units in China and 1.158 million units in the United States, citing defective battery cells supplied by APEX (Wuxi) Co, Ltd, whose 3C certification has reportedly been suspended or revoked.

Romoss, another leading brand, has recalled 490,000 units in China for the same reason.

Several other brands, including Ugreen and Baseus, have also been affected.

APEX (Wuxi) is a wholly owned subsidiary of APEX and Wuxi Industrial Development Group, which is mainly engaged in the production and sales of consumer lithium-ion batteries and their components.