Changzhou Spot Check: Yet Another Luminaire Product Found Non-Compliant!

Recently, the Changzhou Municipal Administration for Market Regulation announced the results of the third batch of product quality supervision spot checks for 2026. Starting in June 2026, in accordance with relevant regulations, the bureau conducted quality supervision spot checks on 18 types of products—including automotive urea and lighting fixtures—produced by manufacturers in Changzhou and sold in physical stores and online marketplaces.

Among them, a total of 20 batches of lighting fixture products were sampled, and the results showed that 2 batches were non-compliant, representing a 10% failure rate, all sold through e-commerce platforms.

According to the announcement, multiple items in fixed LED luminaires manufactured by Changzhou Simiao Lighting Technology Co., Ltd. and Changzhou Hehui Lighting Co., Ltd. were found to be non-compliant: structure—luminaires with non-replaceable light sources; external and internal wiring; protection against electric shock; electromagnetic compatibility (disturbing voltage at power interface, radiated disturbance, harmonic current limits).

The Changzhou Institute of Inspection, Testing and Standard Certification conducted an analysis of the causes:

1. Structure—non-compliance in luminaires with non-replaceable light sources: unreasonable structural design;

2. External and internal wiring non-compliance: insufficient cross-sectional area of power cords;

3. Protection against electric shock non-compliance: first, unreasonable product design; second, failure to use an isolated control device with SELV (Safety Extra-Low Voltage);

4. Electromagnetic compatibility non-compliance: first, design flaws in the luminaire control circuitry; second, poor raw material quality and unstable parameters of low-cost core components, leading to wide-band electromagnetic interference; third, some LED drivers have not obtained 3C Certification, directly causing overall EMC non-compliance of the luminaire.

The producers and sellers of the non-compliant products identified in this spot check will all be handed over to local market regulation authorities for legal handling.

Notably, the issues uncovered in Changzhou this time are not isolated cases. In late October, regulatory and recall announcements from multiple regions across China revealed highly similar defects in LED luminaires.

From October 10–25, Zhongshan, Guangdong, saw consecutive recalls of several luminaire models: Xidian Lighting ultra-thin Downlight, Shanghaodeng recessed luminaire, Kexun Lighting recessed luminaire, as well as Alilang Decorative Lighting and Nuoyuelin Decorative Lighting fixed ceiling lights... Defects were concentrated in protection against electric shock, internal and external wiring, and structural design—risks consistent with those exposed in the Changzhou sampling, with electrocution risk being the primary concern.

Meanwhile, Zhongshan regulators also issued consumer warnings regarding two lamp companies that have since been deregistered. With the corporate entities gone and defective products impossible to recall, managing these risks has become even more challenging.

E-commerce channels have become hotspots for lighting quality problems. Price wars in e-commerce force cost-cutting, prompting some small and medium-sized manufacturers to downgrade components such as LED drivers, wiring, and insulation structures, and even using un-certified drivers. While they may appear to function normally on the surface, their safety protections fall far short of standards, posing long-term risks of leakage and fire.

For lighting manufacturers, a luminaire is not “qualified simply because it can light up.” Mandatory standards set strict thresholds for structure, protection against electric shock, and electromagnetic compatibility. In particular, LED drivers, as core components of luminaires, must obtain CCC Certification even when used as standalone units. Companies should strengthen full-process quality control, rigorously safeguarding key checkpoints including raw material selection, structural design, and final product inspection, and must not treat cutting safety costs as a means of price competition.