China Releases Vapor Product Standards

China’s market regulator today unveiled technical standards for e-cigarettes that will go into effect starting Oct. 1.

In a public document, the State Administration for Market Regulation listed the requirements for design, chemical compounds and the mechanics for e-cigarettes that domestic manufacturers must meet in order to sell their products, according to Channel News Asia.

In March, Chinese tobacco authorities issued a finalized version of rules that stipulate other requirements for e-cigarette companies in China.

Most notably, the rules state that e-cigarette companies may only sell their products through authorized channels, and also bar vendors from selling e-cigarette flavors other than tobacco.

The Beijing Business Today revealed that many flavored vape products have seen prices increase up to CNY30 ($4.72). The Forward Industrial Research Institute has recently reported that in China there are approximately 1,500 vape manufacturers and brand enterprises, and over 100,000 e-cigarette supply chains and related service enterprises, providing employment to an estimated 5.5 million people.

The research firm also found that in 2021, domestic e-cigarette sales totaled about CNY19.7 billion, with an annual growth of 36 percent.