The EU Finally Has a Common Charger for All Devices. Will the US Follow?

People buying new phones, cameras and tablet computers in the European Union will now find all of them come with a standardized charger: a USB-C cable. New rules came into effect Saturday, with the idea to make it easier to find a charger and cut down on electronic waste across the EU’s 27 member states, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The United States, however, has yet to introduce similar legislation. Why It Matters Using USB-C to charge our phones, headphones and e-readers has become relatively common in recent years. With Apple slowly phasing out its Lightning-type cable, there are still many other devices that come with USB-A, micro-USB and other non-standard cables. The EU’s new rule, known as the “Common Charger Directive” is designed to increase convenience, cut back on 11,000 tons of e-waste each year by encouraging users to reuse cables, and save buyers around $259,000 annually. Devices covered include digital cameras, video game consoles, earbuds and portable speakers, wireless mice and keyboards, as well as the previously-mentioned smartphones, e-readers and tablets. What To Know All electronic manufacturers making smaller devices must comply with the new rules, meaning any such products sold after Saturday, December 28, 2024, across the EU have to have a USB-C charger. If manufacturers break the rules, member countries will be able to impose fines or withdraw items from sale. A USB-C port is seen on a display model as customers purchase iPhone 15 handsets at the Apple Store on September 22, 2023 in London, England. The European Union’s new rules, implemented December 28, 2024,… A USB-C port is seen on a display model as customers purchase iPhone 15 handsets at the Apple Store on September 22, 2023 in London, England. The European Union’s new rules, implemented December 28, 2024, require all new small and medium electronic devices to be USB-C chargeable. Leon Neal/Getty Images While the U.S. has yet to introduce similar rules, lawmakers did attempt such a move in 2022. Massachusetts Democratic Senators Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren, along with Vermont Independent Bernie Sanders, wrote to the Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo about “the consumer electronics industry’s failure to establish uniform charging accessory standards.” Newsweek reached out to the Department of Commerce for comment via email Monday morning. In California, a similar bill was introduced in April 2023 but died in the chamber. Other countries have followed the EU’s lead, seeing the move as necessary when USB-C’s prevalence looks set to continue. Taiwan’s rules were set to take effect in December, and India’s will reportedly come into effect from March 2025. The tech industry will be watching to see if sales are affected, while also seeking to keep innovating under the new rules, for example, with wireless chargers. What People Are Saying Carolina Milanese, founder and principal at The Heart of Tech, told Newsweek via email: “The U.S. is used to seeing the EU push more sustainable choices. Often, as it is the case here, manufacturers will adopt and deploy across regions as it is more cost-effective for them and readies them for what might come in those regions too. So, the U.S. will see a change whether or not they impose it.” Margrethe Vestager, executive vice-president for a Europe fit for the Digital Age, said in a press release when the rule was passed: “No more bundles of different chargers in our drawers. One common charger is a real benefit to us as consumers. It will also help our environment. So we welcome today’s agreement of the common charger following a swift conclusion of negotiations between the co-legislators.” Senators Warren, Markey and Sanders in their 2022 letter: “We urge [the Department of Commerce] to follow the EU’s lead by developing a comprehensive strategy to address unnecessary consumer costs, mitigate e-waste, and restore sanity and certainty to the process of purchasing new electronics.” What’s Next Devices that require power levels over 100 Watts are not subjected to the new rules, meaning there will be some differences for items like bigger computers and game consoles for now. Laptops sold in the EU will have to comply in April 2026.