Product recalls help improve risk governance in new industrial era

Nearly 6.85 million vehicles and 8.24 million other products were recalled in China last year. According to the State Administration for Market Regulation, 190 automobile recalls and 1,081 consumer product recalls were conducted during 2025. Of these, 105 recalls were of new energy vehicles.

The scale may seem alarming, but it may also be evidence that a safety guardrail is doing its job. For consumers, product safety is felt in everyday moments: a car owner receiving a recall message, a power bank being returned over safety concerns, a toy being removed from shelves or a software update being sent to a vehicle.

Behind these familiar events is a broader shift in China's market regulation. A mature recall system does more than address an after-sales issue. It turns scattered evidence into action before the problem gets bigger.

More important, however, is the changing nature of the risks underlying these figures. As products become smarter, interconnected and more dependent on complex supply chains, safety problems are no longer confined to traditional mechanical failures. In the automobile sector, potential defects may involve batteries, electronic control systems, driver-assistance functions, software and human-machine interaction. A vehicle's risk profile can continue to change after it leaves the factory as software evolves and evidence accumulates through real-world use.

Product safety can no longer be managed at the factory gate. Online distribution can rapidly widen consumption, varied use scenarios can reveal latent hazards and complex supply chains can blur responsibility. As more Chinese products enter overseas markets, enterprises must also navigate different safety standards, reporting rules and recall requirements. Product safety has therefore become a matter of consumer trust, supply-chain accountability and international competitiveness.

This makes recall governance a test of both corporate responsibility and regulatory capacity. A major recall involves far more than identifying a defect. It may require reaching affected consumers, tracing products, arranging testing, repair or replacement, managing logistics and disposal, and evaluating whether the remedy worked. Suppliers, online platforms, dealers and service providers may all be involved. A delay or failure at any link can undermine consumer protection.

China's recall system draws on multiple sources to identify potential defects. According to SAMR, regulators received 31,000 automobile defect reports and 37,000 consumer product defect reports in 2025. The national product injury surveillance system also combines hospital-based injury data with consumer complaints, online public opinion and overseas recall information. The value of this system lies not in the volume of data alone, but in connecting weak signals that might otherwise remain isolated and go unnoticed.

This represents a shift from a passive response toward anticipatory governance, and from handling individual cases toward managing safety throughout the product life cycle. A complaint that appears isolated may become significant when compared with injury records, repair data or similar recalls overseas. Once a pattern emerges, regulators and enterprises can assess the risk, investigate the suspected defect and decide whether corrective action is needed before a small problem becomes a major incident.

The rapid growth of new energy vehicles and intelligent connected products makes this task more urgent. Software updates, battery performance, driver-assistance systems and data-related functions require new forms of monitoring and evaluation. The boundary between a product defect, a software problem and a service responsibility may also become less clear. Recall rules and technical methods must therefore keep pace with industrial innovation, while responsibilities remain clear enough to protect consumers.

For enterprises, a recall should not be treated only as a legal cost or a reputational crisis. It can expose weaknesses in design, production, supply chain management and after-sales service. If handled promptly and transparently, it can also help a company improve quality, rebuild trust and strengthen its capacity to compete internationally. The key is whether the recall is just a response to a notice or leads to a real safety outcome. In 2025, relatively few consumer product recalls were initiated proactively by producers. A mature recall system cannot rely on regulators alone; enterprises must identify risks early, report them promptly and maintain the operational capacity to reach consumers.

The next stage should make recall governance more forward-looking, coordinated and resilient. Priorities include improving data interoperability, strengthening producer reporting, reaching consumers more effectively, coordinating action across regions and platforms, and evaluating recall effectiveness. Enterprises also need practical recall plans, reliable product-tracing systems and adequate financial and logistical preparation for large-scale rectification.

China's experience suggests that recall governance can serve both safety and development. It protects consumers from unreasonable risks while encouraging enterprises to improve products and supply chains. As Chinese brands expand globally, the ability to respond to safety problems in a timely, transparent and responsible manner will shape their international reputation.

Product safety is the foundation of consumer confidence and high-quality development. The broader lesson is that an effective recall system must detect weak signals early, assign responsibility across the supply chain and ensure that remedies actually reach consumers. By moving recalls beyond post-sale remedies and embedding them in life-cycle risk management, China is building a safer and more trustworthy market.

The author is with the SAMR Defective Product Recall Technical Center.

The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.