Vape Market Weekly News (30th, Nov. to 6th, Dec.)

Vape Policies & Industry News (30th, Nov. to 6th, Dec.)

China

1. On Dec. 1st, the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council announced the duty-free limit standards for tobacco products: 2 pod devices and 6 disposable vape , with a total e-liquid capacity of no more than 12 ml. It will come into force on Dec. 1st, 2024.
2. The 2024 annual meeting of ECCC was successfully held, which mainly focused on compliance and policy supervision.

Turkey

1. On Dec. 1st, the Turkish government will strengthen the regulation of e-cigarettes, and the new law will impose severe penalties on e-cigarette sellers, and violators will face up to 6 years in prison. Read more

Vietnam

1. On Dec. 1st, Vietnam's National Assembly passed a resolution to completely ban the production, sale, import, storage, transportation and use of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products from 2025. Read more
2. On Dec. 6th, Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City Market Administration seized 16,000 e-cigarette products during the year, and plans to focus on cracking down on illegal sales of e-cigarettes around the Chinese New Year to implement the ban on e-cigarettes by 2025. Read more

Peru

1. On Dec. 1st, Peru reported that British American Tobacco Vuse has a 20% market share, with 140 importers introducing more than 30 brands in six years. In addition, the country's regulatory policies for e-cigarettes are relatively lagging behind, providing opportunities for these large tobacco companies and local businesses. Read more

Russia

1. On Dec. 1st, the Russian Duma will consider a draft increase in fines for the sale of cigarettes to minors. The draft also proposes to increase fines for wholesale or retail sales of snuff, nicotine-containing foods and chewing tobacco. Read more
2. On Dec. 2nd, officials of the Russian Ministry of Health have proposed a total ban on the import, production and sale of nicotine products to address nicotine addiction. Read more
3. On Dec. 3rd, Russian lawmakers have proposed standardizing shop signs selling vapes, cigarettes and alcohol to gray, black and white in shades to reduce their appeal to passers-by, especially minors. Read more
4. On Dec. 4th, Russia's State Duma has received a proposal to decentralize the power to regulate the sale of e-cigarettes and other nicotine-containing products to local governments, set rules for when and where they are sold, and even ban retail sales altogether, with the new rules expected to come into force on September 1, 2025. Read more

USA

1. On Dec. 2nd, an Illinois congressman of U.S. on Monday announced an investigation into vaping products produced in China and sold in American markets. Because the ingredients inside are sometimes even more harmful than the nicotine that is the addictive component of the vapes. Read more
2. On Dec. 2nd, the announcement by a key U.S. lawmaker on China to launch a new investigation into illegal Chinese vape manufacturers may trigger a seismic shift in vape regulation. Read more
3. On Dec. 3rd, the U.S. Supreme Court heard the case of two vape companies being rejected for selling flavored vape products. And lawyers said that Trump may change the regulatory policy of vape which is expected to be announced before the end of June next year. Read more
4. On Dec. 4th, the director of the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products announced that youth smoking rates are at record lows, e-cigarette use has fallen to a decade-low and, despite significant progress, the FDA said it will continue to take steps to protect adolescents from the harms of tobacco products. Read more
5. On Dec. 5th, FDA announced the issuance of warning letters to 115 brick-and-mortar retailers for selling unauthorized e-cigarette products, including Geek Bar, Elf Bar and so on. Businesses that receive a warning are required to submit a corrective action plan within 15 working days or face further penalties. Read more

Belarus

1. On Dec. 2nd, the President of Belarus reiterated that the state will maintain a monopoly on the alcohol and tobacco industry. Read more

Philippine

1. On Dec. 3rd, the Philippine Internal Revenue Service (BIR) seized 817 illegal vape shops and seized more than 560,000 vape products in a nationwide raid for nearly a month, involving about $7.1 million in taxes. Read more

Korea

1. On Dec. 3rd, zero-nicotine vapes were accused of false advertising, and the Korea Consumer Association asked the Ministry of Food and Drug to strengthen supervision because zero-nicotine vapes sold on the market were detected to contain undeclared "methylnicotine" ingredients. Read more
2. On Dec. 4th, due to the martial law incident and the issue of the tax rate of synthetic nicotine tobacco, the Korean National Assembly postponed the discussion of the revision of the relevant laws again after the public hearing, and the new regulations on the regulation of synthetic nicotine tobacco are expected to be postponed until next year. Read more

EU

1. On Dec. 3rd, the Council of the EU approved the proposal to expand smoke-free zones to outdoor areas, and the new measures will also apply to vapes and heated tobacco products. The implementation of that recommendation would depend on Member States. Read more

Mexico

1. On Dec. 4th, British American Tobacco Mexico opposes the vape ban and calls for appropriate regulation based on scientific evidence rather than a ban. Read more
2. On Dec. 3rd, Mexico's Chamber of Deputies passed a constitutional amendment to ban the illegal use of fentanyl and vaping products, and will adjust the legal framework to comply with the new law. Read more

UK

1. On Dec. 4th, the UK's Advertising Standards Authority has ruled against IVG Vape for advertising violations, requiring it to stop misleading health claims and ban advertisements for e-cigarettes containing nicotine in disallowed media. Read more

Algerian

1. On Dec. 4th, Algerian Consumer Protection Organization announced that the Ministry of Internal Trade has begun a recall of a USB-shaped vape product from the market and launched an investigation into the matter, confirming that the product is prohibited from sale. Read more

Spain

1. On Dec. 4th, tobacco consumption in Spain has dropped significantly, but vape use has risen, and the government plans to introduce new regulations to limit the use of vapes, including banning vapes in public indoor places and restricting flavored e-liquids. Read more

Japan

1. On Dec. 5th, the Japanese government and the ruling party are considering adjusting the tax rate on heated tobacco from 2026 to close the tax gap between it and conventional cigarettes, and plan to gradually increase the tax rate on both types of tobacco from 2027. Read more

Italy

1. On Dec. 5th, a study by a university in Italy has shown that vapes are more effective than traditional methods for quitting smoking. The study notes that although the long-term success rate of vapes is only 10%-12%, its potential merits further research and integration into public health policies. Read more