Fake 3C certifications have emerged in Huaqiangbei, which are more sophisticated than stickers.

During the visit by reporters from Blue Whale Technology, some merchants revealed that for an additional payment of 5 - 10 yuan, uncertified power banks can be labeled with forged 3C labels and become "compliant products".

As the power bank scandal continues to spread, Shenzhen Huaqiangbei, known as Asia's largest electronics market, is inevitably involved.

On July 2nd, when reporters from Blue Whale Technology visited Huaqiangbei, they were told by multiple merchants that the Shenzhen Market Supervision and Administration Bureau had previously issued a notice to the Huaqiangbei Market Department, strictly prohibiting the sale of power banks without 3C certification in the Huaqiangbei market. Reporters also found at multiple power bank counters in Huaqiangbei that each counter clearly marked the power banks for sale as products with 3C certification.

In Huaqiangbei, multiple merchants revealed to reporters from Blue Whale Technology that "currently, some merchants in Huaqiangbei who sold power banks without 3C certification in violation of regulations have been fined by the market supervision and management department. Many merchants are now actively clearing their inventories and removing uncertified power banks from the shelves to ensure that all products for sale comply with regulations."

The Destination of Removed Power Banks Remains a Mystery

Regarding the question of where the removed power banks go, different merchants have adopted different strategies. Wholesaler A Feng told reporters that some large wholesalers choose to pack their inventories and send them to regions with looser 3C certification requirements or regions that recognize other certifications (such as CE) for sale.

In contrast, small merchants face greater pressure. A stall owner in Huaqiangbei told reporters from Blue Whale Technology that "it's impossible to destroy them on our own because it's quite a significant expense." His coping strategy is to give away these uncertified products as gifts or "sell them to consumers who don't need to take them on planes."

It is reported that the CCC certification, or "China Compulsory Certification", is a product conformity assessment system implemented in accordance with the law to protect the personal safety of consumers, the safety of animals and plants, the environment, and national security. It is a mandatory threshold for verifying the safety performance of products. Before the mandatory certification took effect on August 1st last year, some power banks did not have this certification.

Image source: The 3C certification shown to Blue Whale Technology by a merchant

A merchant in Huaqiangbei told reporters from Blue Whale Technology that products without 3C certification are indeed more likely to have safety hazards such as bulging or even explosion. However, the testing standards for 3C certification are very strict, and the cost is also higher. Therefore, even with the mandatory certification policy, some manufacturers still choose to sell uncertified power banks.

In the Shenzhen Huaqiangbei Electronics Market, reporters from Blue Whale Technology found through investigation that the wholesale price of a power bank marked with 10,000 mAh and with a genuine 3C certification generally ranges from 85 to 90 yuan. "This price has reached the bottom," said Lao Liu, a merchant settled in Huaqiangbei.

According to Lao Liu, "Just the cost of 3C certification allocated to each product is 15 - 20 yuan. Coupled with high - quality battery cells and compliant circuit design, the cost simply cannot be reduced. In contrast, the wholesale price of an uncertified 'white - label' power bank of the same specification is only about 40 yuan, almost half the price."

Lao Liu emphasized that the price increase is due to the increased cost of upstream factories, not the markup in the market. Lao Liu also said that due to the increasingly strict certification requirements, the number of manufacturers that can stably provide genuinely certified products in the market is currently limited.

Some Manufacturers Adopt the "Shared Certification" Model

Facing the high certification costs, small manufacturers are looking for ways out.

Image source: The 3C certification of a merchant in Huaqiangbei

Stall merchant Li Yi revealed to reporters the "unspoken rule" in the industry. That is, large brands adhere to "one model, one certificate", while small manufacturers can only apply for certification with "universal molds". The so - called "universal molds" refer to multiple manufacturers sharing the same set of certified shell and circuit design solutions, only making distinctions in appearance and logos. This "shared certification" model can lower the compliance threshold for small brands.

However, under the huge cost pressure, some merchants take risks. During the visit by reporters from Blue Whale Technology, some merchants revealed that for an additional payment of 5 - 10 yuan, uncertified power banks can be labeled with forged 3C labels and become "compliant products".

"Currently, some products marked with 3C certification in the Huaqiangbei market may also be fake," the aforementioned merchant also showed reporters a sample with a fake label, claiming that "it won't be a big problem to pass the security check." Reporters found that the 3C logo on it was directly marked on the power bank, not in the form of a sticker.

In response, Boss Chen, who has been in the industry for ten years, issued a warning: "Don't fake it now. For example, if you earn 5,000 yuan, you may end up being fined much more." He provided some points he thought could distinguish between true and false certifications. "Below the genuine 3C certification logo, the address of the manufacturing company must be clearly marked. If this information is missing, it is very likely to be a fake certification."

The root cause of the chaos in the power bank market lies in the extremely low technological threshold of the industry. An industry insider told Blue Whale Technology that Shenzhen's huge industrial chain - hundreds of battery cell factories, shell factories, and solution providers - has formed a complete OEM ecosystem. Small brands only need to purchase the three core components, namely the shell, battery cell, and control board, with a minimum order quantity of 1,000, and they can easily launch their own branded products. Even in the face of the update of new technological standards such as Apple's 20W fast - charging and the USB PD protocol, manufacturers only need to replace the corresponding charging chips, and the R & D investment is minimal.

This highly homogeneous competition model has directly led to a decline in industry profits. This phenomenon is confirmed by industry data: Public data shows that the gross profit margin of Pisen, a well - known brand in the industry, dropped sharply from 34.5% in 2020 to only 3% in 2023. Even Anker, the industry benchmark, had a net profit margin of only 8.6% in 2024.

This article is from the WeChat official account "Blue Whale TMT", author: Zhai Zhichao, editor: Chen Ye. Republished by 36Kr with authorization.