Header image source: Anker Innovations.
A product recall that has drawn attention in China’s consumer electronics sector is now rippling across global markets.
Anker Innovations, often viewed as a case study for Chinese electronics brands expanding internationally, issued two major overseas recalls in June.
On June 12, Anker announced a recall in the US involving its PowerCore 10000 power bank (model A1263). According to the recall notice, affected units were manufactured between January 1, 2016, and October 30, 2019, and sold in the US from June 1, 2016, to December 31, 2022. The recall was prompted by a potential fire hazard linked to lithium-ion battery defects.
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission reported that over one million units were affected. Anker received 19 reports of fire and explosion incidents related to the product, with damages totaling more than USD 60,000. It remains unclear whether the cause of the US recall aligns with a similar one recently initiated by Anker in China.
A second, voluntary global recall followed on June 30. It involved five models, including A1257, A1647, and A1652, overlapping with units recalled domestically due to battery cell issues from a supplier.
As of July 4, Anker has not disclosed the total number of globally affected units or confirmed whether the two recalls stem from the same root cause. However, Health Canada reported that approximately 11,985 of the recalled units were sold in Canada between December 2023 and June 2025. Separately, Nikkei reported on June 26 that four models were recalled in Japan, potentially affecting hundreds of thousands of units, possibly the largest power bank recall in the country to date.
On July 3, Xiong Kang, Anker’s vice president and head of its charging and energy storage business, told media outlets: “Anker’s overseas market is larger than our domestic one. In addition to China, we’ve initiated recalls across all major overseas markets, including the US, Japan, Europe, and Southeast Asia. The overseas volume is even larger than what was recalled in China.”
North America, Japan, and Europe are key international markets for Anker. When combined with the approximately 710,000 units affected by the domestic recall, the total number of recalled units could exceed two million as of June, making this one of the most extensive recall events involving a Chinese consumer electronics brand.
Anker is not the only company facing scrutiny. In June, Midea recalled approximately 1.7 million air conditioners in the US and Canada due to a drainage issue that could lead to mold buildup and pose respiratory risks. Midea offered affected users repairs or full or partial refunds. Given unit prices ranging USD 280–500, potential losses could be significant.
Product recalls carry broader implications beyond immediate financial impact, including risks to brand credibility and consumer trust.
Anker previously stated that power banks account for roughly 10% of its total revenue. The seven recalled models represent a small portion of more than 100 power bank SKUs the company sells globally. Accordingly, the financial impact is expected to be manageable.
Still, to address concerns overseas, Anker has offered free replacements or gift cards as compensation. The recalled products retailed between USD 25.99–89.99. However, the challenges extend beyond compensation, as lithium-ion battery disposal is highly regulated and varies by region.
Anker has published disposal guidelines on its local websites, generally advising users to follow local regulations and bring affected units to certified waste collection points.
In the US, for example, the Environmental Protection Agency recommends disposing of lithium-ion batteries at designated recycling centers or household hazardous waste (HHW) sites. Anker aligns with this guidance. In Germany, regulations require batteries to be taken to retail or municipal collection bins, not discarded with regular waste. In Japan, Anker provides return kits with shipping instructions, envelopes, and fireproof materials for safe return.
Such recalls are not isolated events. In May, Baseus recalled about 55,000 units of its 30,000-milliampere-hour power bank (model BS-30KP365). In December 2024, Belkin recalled approximately 4,000 units of its BoostCharge Pro power bank. That same month, Anker recalled around 69,000 Soundcore Bluetooth speakers in the US due to battery concerns.
Industry professionals familiar with after-sales operations noted that when lithium battery-related issues arise, affected products are either returned to China or destroyed locally by certified disposal firms. Costs incurred include reverse logistics and regulated disposal fees.
For brands with global ambitions, managing post-sale risks is as critical as entering new markets. In North America and Europe, consumer electronics—especially those using lithium batteries—must comply with stringent safety, environmental, and transportation standards. Retail platforms like Amazon and Walmart also impose strict certification requirements.
The EU’s battery regulation, enacted in 2023, has raised compliance requirements further. It mandates safety standards throughout a battery’s lifecycle, from production to disposal, and includes producer responsibility rules, waste collection protocols, and reporting obligations.
Passing initial compliance checks is one challenge. Sustaining compliance across a product’s lifecycle is another. Large-scale recalls test a brand’s crisis management capabilities and resilience. For most companies, handling a recall involving over a million units presents a serious operational and reputational test.
For Anker Innovations, this may prove to be a pivotal moment in its global expansion. Competing abroad requires more than product exports, demanding embedded resilience across operations, governance, and risk control. That, ultimately, is what separates a local player from a truly global one.
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This article was written by Shi Yi for 36Kr.