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Tag: illicit vapes

  • Sen. Schumer Urges FDA to Crack Down on Illicit Chinese Vapes

    Sen. Schumer Urges FDA to Crack Down on Illicit Chinese Vapes

    New York Sen. Chuck Schumer is calling on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to provide more information on how it identifies illicit nicotine products and investigate whether Chinese manufacturers are using chemical substitutes to evade FDA oversight. In a letter to acting FDA Commissioner Kyle Diamantas, Schumer also urged the agency to use its enforcement authorities to remove unlawful products from the market. He cited concerns that unauthorized products manufactured in China are entering the U.S. market and being marketed in ways that appeal to youth.

    Schumer cited estimates that unauthorized products account for 70% of U.S. e-cigarette sales, including more than 97% of disposable e-cigarette sales, and requested a response from the FDA within 30 days. He also raised concerns about FDA staffing and its ability to monitor illicit nicotine products following workforce reductions in 2025.

  • Brazil Intercepts 200K Illicit Vapes

    Brazil Intercepts 200K Illicit Vapes

    Brazil’s Federal Revenue Service seized a container at the Port of Santos containing about 200,000 smuggled electronic smoking devices in an operation conducted Sept. 18. The shipment originated in Yantian, China, and was destined for Montevideo, Uruguay, but was falsely declared as LED screens and electronics.

    Authorities found that about 95% of the cargo consisted of undeclared electronic cigarettes without marketing authorization. The seizure followed information provided by Philip Morris International’s Illicit Trade Prevention team, which alerted Brazil’s General Coordination of Customs Administration after identifying that the vessel would stop in Santos before continuing to Uruguay.

  • Authorities Seize $7M in Illegal Tobacco, Vapes in Tasmania

    Authorities Seize $7M in Illegal Tobacco, Vapes in Tasmania

    Tasmanian authorities seized nearly A$10 million ($7 million) worth of illicit tobacco and vaping products during the 2025-26 financial year, including 5.43 million cigarettes, 2,535 kilograms of loose tobacco, and nearly 30,000 illegal vapes, following intensified enforcement efforts and closer cooperation between the Department of Health and Tasmania Police. The seizures come as the state implements tougher laws targeting illicit tobacco and vape sales, including higher penalties, new business closure powers, and restrictions on vending machine sales. At the same time, Tasmanian officials are urging Australia’s federal government to reduce tobacco excise taxes, arguing that high cigarette prices are fueling black market growth, reducing excise revenue, and strengthening organized crime despite continued declines in smoking rates.

  • Serbia Pulls Nearly 25K Vapes from Market

    Serbia Pulls Nearly 25K Vapes from Market

    Serbia’s Ministry of Agriculture ordered the withdrawal of 24,852 flavored electronic cigarettes from the market, valued at approximately 24 million dinars ($230,000), after an extraordinary inspection found the products failed to comply with the country’s Tobacco Law. The Agricultural Inspection banned further distribution of the identified products until the regulatory violations are corrected, stating the action is intended to ensure consistent enforcement of tobacco regulations, protect consumers, and maintain fair competition among businesses. Authorities said inspections of tobacco and related products will continue to intensify, with additional enforcement measures to be taken whenever non-compliant products are identified.

  • Payment Providers Warn Retailers About Illicit Vapes

    Payment Providers Warn Retailers About Illicit Vapes

    Major U.S. payment providers and fuel retailers are warning merchants against selling unauthorized vaping products as enforcement against the illicit market intensifies. According to Reuters, Fiserv subsidiary CardConnect, along with BP, Marathon Petroleum, and Valero, advised partners over the weekend that selling unauthorized e-cigarettes could result in significant fines, loss of payment processing services, or other compliance actions. The warnings follow pressure from a coalition of U.S. state and local law enforcement officials and come after Mastercard cautioned it would investigate transactions involving illegal vape sales.

  • Philippines Flagged ‘Elevated Risk’ for Illicit Cigarettes as Price Gaps Grow

    Philippines Flagged ‘Elevated Risk’ for Illicit Cigarettes as Price Gaps Grow

    The Philippines has been identified as an “elevated risk” market for illicit cigarettes, with illegal products accounting for 25.3% of total sales last year and projected to rise to 28.9% by 2028, according to a Euromonitor International study commissioned by the EU-ASEAN Business Council. The report estimates the government lost nearly $980 million in 2024 and about $1.1 billion last year due to the illicit cigarette trade, while illegal e-vapes, which make up 86% of the market, caused an additional P23 billion ($400 million) in losses from 2024 to 2025.

    Researchers cited price-sensitive consumers, porous maritime borders, established regional smuggling routes, annual excise tax hikes of 5%, and enforcement challenges as key drivers, with illicit products increasingly imported from neighboring ASEAN states and China. The study also highlighted the growing role of digital platforms such as Telegram, WhatsApp, and Facebook Marketplace in distributing illegal tobacco, alongside traditional sari-sari stores and street vendors, and warned that paper-based tax stamps are easily counterfeited, recommending a shift toward digital tax verification systems to better protect revenues and track the trade.

  • CBP Seizes $175M in Illicit Vapes from Maritime Cargo

    CBP Seizes $175M in Illicit Vapes from Maritime Cargo

    The U.S. Customs and Border Protection, working with the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, announced that it has seized more than 18 million vape units valued at over $175 million over the last few weeks under a targeted initiative known as Operation Red Mist. The ongoing operation focuses primarily on maritime cargo shipments originating from the People’s Republic of China and is aimed at disrupting the illicit importation, transport, and distribution of unauthorized vape products and related hazardous components.

    According to CBP, inspection teams identified shipments that were misclassified or improperly labeled to evade detection, duties, and regulatory scrutiny, and that failed to meet U.S. import requirements for tobacco products, electronics, and hazardous materials transport. Officials said all e-cigarette products seized lacked the required FDA premarket authorization, making them illegal for sale in the United States. CBP said the operation reflects a broader, government-wide effort to keep noncompliant and potentially dangerous vaping products out of U.S. commerce and away from youth, while disrupting the revenue streams that often support broader criminal activity.

    Source: U.S. Customs and Border Protection

  • Tasmania Passes Bill to Strengthen Crackdown on Illicit Tobacco and Vapes

    Tasmania Passes Bill to Strengthen Crackdown on Illicit Tobacco and Vapes

    Tasmania’s House of Assembly passed the Public Health Amendment (Prohibited Tobacco and Other Products) Bill 2026, introducing new offences, higher penalties, and expanded powers to shut down businesses involved in the illegal sale of tobacco and vaping products. The legislation targets illicit trade and aims to strengthen enforcement against unauthorized products.

    Health Minister Bridget Archer said the measures are intended to reduce smoking and prevent youth access, while Police Minister Felix Ellis linked the illicit market to organized crime, warning against the spread of related criminal activity. The bill will now move to the Legislative Council for further consideration.

  • 13 State AGs Urge Credit Cards to Block Illicit Vape Sales

    13 State AGs Urge Credit Cards to Block Illicit Vape Sales

    A coalition of 13 U.S. attorneys general has called on major credit card companies to stop facilitating sales of illegal vaping products through their payment networks. The group warned that unauthorized e-cigarettes, largely manufactured in China, now account for more than 80% of the U.S. vape market, generating over $11 billion in annual sales despite violating federal and state laws.

    The officials are asking Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover to identify and remove merchants selling illicit products and to increase transparency on enforcement actions. The move draws on past cooperation between regulators and payment processors to curb illegal online cigarette sales, as states look to disrupt distribution channels for unauthorized vaping products.

  • NACS Urges Action Against Illicit Chinese Vapes

    NACS Urges Action Against Illicit Chinese Vapes

    The National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) called on U.S. trade officials to address the surge of illicit e-cigarettes entering the country from China, warning that unauthorized products now account for an estimated 80% of the ENDS market. In a submission to the U.S. Trade Representative, NACS said these imports, which often lack FDA authorization, pose health risks, particularly to youth, while undermining compliant retailers and legitimate supply chains.

    NACS is urging a coordinated government response, including enforceable commitments from China to restrict exports that violate U.S. regulations, improve product classification and oversight, and strengthen enforcement mechanisms. The group said curbing illicit flows is critical to protecting public health, ensuring fair competition, and safeguarding the economic viability of regulated businesses.