Battery regulation upgrade affecting the Chinese battery export industry

It is reported that Ningbo is an important base for China's export of batteries, with annual exports exceeding 350 million U.S. dollars. Electromechanical products such as battery-powered electric tools, audio and video equipment, and electric toys are also important export commodities in Ningbo. Lithium batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries and other products are important export commodities in China. They are also one of the important accessories for exporting electromechanical products and are widely used in electric tools, audio and video equipment and household appliances. In recent years, the European and American markets have frequently issued a series of stringent battery technology regulations, and the regulatory requirements for batteries and electromechanical products involving battery accessories have been greatly improved, and the impact on China's related electromechanical products will become increasingly evident. Environmental protection as a threshold for battery market access 

The first is the increasingly stringent environmental safety requirements for battery products. The European Union's newly revised battery directive will remove the cadmium exemption for wireless power tool batteries and the Mercury exemption for button batteries in 2016 and 2015, while further tightening the limits on cadmium and mercury in portable batteries and batteries. The European Union's WEEE directive and REACH regulations also set high access standards for battery imports. In the United States, states have issued laws and regulations to prohibit button batteries containing Mercury and PBDE flame retardants that exceed 0.1 % from entering the market, and calls for the establishment of a universal recycling system in the United States have become increasingly strong. Canadian environmental regulations, Argentine button battery bans and certification requirements, and Mexican voluntary battery standards all set clear limits for harmful substances such as lead, cadmium, and mercury in batteries. In addition, Brazil and other developing countries have also begun to follow suit. Mandatory environmental requirements for cells and batteries are in place. Second, waste battery recycling requirements upgrade. The new EU Regulation on Battery Recovery(No. 493/2012), based on the EU Battery Directive(2006/66/EC), has been in force since 1 January 2014, achieving a 45 per cent recovery rate for used batteries in 2016, in addition to requiring enterprises to bear the cost of used batteries recovery, In addition to the target of 65 % reuse of lead-acid batteries and 75 % reuse of nickel-cadmium batteries, precise definitions, calculation principles, and reporting templates for battery recovery have been stipulated to concretize the efficiency issues related to battery instructions. The United States, California, New York, etc. have successively promulgated recycling laws. Japan also requires battery manufacturers to consciously recover used batteries and bear the costs of battery recycling, transportation, and other chains. "Waste recycling" has become the relevant enterprises can not avoid the technical threshold. The impact of barrier escalation is becoming increasingly apparent The increasingly strict environmental barriers not only directly affect China's export battery industry, but also affect China's entire export electromechanical industry. 

First, there are many products involved. Electric tools, audio and video equipment, digital products and even new energy vehicles are closely related to batteries. In 2013, China's wireless power tools exported to the European Union exceeded 2 billion U.S. dollars, of which more than 80 % of the nickel-cadmium and nickel-metal hydride batteries used were within the scope of the EU's new battery directive. Second, high costs should be addressed. The frequently upgraded battery regulations not only involve product production, but also transport, packaging, recycling, product certification and other links. The cost of coping with them is huge. For example, since the amendment of the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code No. 35 and the regulations of the 54th edition of the Dangerous Goods Code came into effect, the packaging and transportation costs of batteries and other related export enterprises have increased by more than 20 %. Third, it is urgent to deal with the situation. In the past three years, countries have issued more than 30 technical trade measures for batteries. Among them, developed countries and regions such as Europe, the United States, Japan and the ROK have issued and implemented more than 70 % of the total number of technical trade measures, and the transitional period for regulations is generally short. For example, the transition period of the EU battery Mercury and cadmium directives is within 2 years, and Japan requires 45 % recovery of used batteries within 2 years, and exporting enterprises face severe tests. Strengthen industry standardization and improve internal response Ningbo is an important base for China's export of batteries, with annual exports exceeding 350 million U.S. dollars. For the escalating technical trade barriers, enterprises must be proactive and ahead of schedule. The inspection and quarantine department recommends that: First, the domestic export battery industry should further strengthen the standardization system, strive to improve the standard production level of the battery industry, ensure the quality of products from the source, and make great efforts to upgrade the technical and technological levels, so as to move ahead with the technical barriers. To get to the top of the market. Second, we must attach great importance to the development trend of foreign battery regulations and directives, pay timely attention to the development of new standards and regulations, and respond to the green trade fortress with a positive attitude, master its requirements and take effective measures. Third, manufacturers of electronic and electrical products should seize the opportunity to take green environmental protection as a breakthrough point for transformation and upgrading, improve raw materials quality, improve production processes, increase scientific research input, and conduct green environmental protection certification for products in strict compliance with standards and regulations. Enhancing competitiveness in international markets. 

The page contains the contents of the machine translation.