China: Market and regulatory data analysis of the vaping sector

What to expect in e-cigs in 2025: is this the end for flavours and disposables?

Written by Freddie Dawson | 10th January 2025

The year 2025 is shaping up to be a significant one for vaping. ECigIntelligence predicts several long-anticipated policy developments will start to emerge as regulators attempt to catch up to the rapidly evolving vaping market...

How did we do? ECigIntelligence’s predictions for 2024 under review

Written by Freddie Dawson | 31st December 2024

We look back at predictions ECigIntelligence published at the start of 2024 to see how well we did in calling events that would occur in the e-cigarette sector throughout the year ...

Southeast Asia regulatory round-up, July 2024

Written by Freddie Dawson | 26th July 2024

Expect a flurry of regulations on vaping and other alternative nicotine products in Southeast Asia over the second half of 2024. Multiple countries have promised to introduce the first-ever regulations for e-cigarettes ...

Players, innovation and regulation: the evolution of e-cigs over the last decade

Written by Freddie Dawson | 9th April 2024

In this part of a series of articles celebrating the tenth anniversary of Tamarind Intelligence, we look at how e-cig devices and the industry have evolved in the past decade ...

Chinese manufacturer appeals MDO amid criticism of US FDA’s ‘prohibition mania’

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 26th January 2024

China-based Shenzhen IVPS Technology, parent to the Smok vaping device brand, has appealed the US FDA's marketing denial order (MDO) for six Smok-branded e-cigarette kits and parts ...

What’s in store for 2024? A look at expected regulation in the year ahead

Written by Freddie Dawson | 2nd January 2024

Further regulatory restrictions on e-cigarettes are expected, but these will not prevent the global vaping market from continuing to grow in 2024, ECigIntelligence predicts ...

Smoore sets up ‘flavour detection squad’ to root out youth-appealing e-cigarettes

Written by Freddie Dawson | 21st December 2023

Smoore, a Chinese vaping technology company, has said it will not work with brands that use flavour names, packaging or product designs that could be construed as attractive to children ...

US FDA and customs seize 1.4m illegal Chinese e-cig products worth over $18m

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 19th December 2023

In shipments from China arriving at Los Angeles International Airport, the joint operation found various brands of disposable e-cig products intended for distribution on the US market that did not have authorisation to be sold...

Rising costs have led to international ‘spillover’ of Chinese e-cig factories

Written by ECigIntelligence | 7th December 2023

Rising costs – not increased domestic regulation – are the main reason for Chinese e-cig manufacturers to set up factories internationally. Surveys indicate three main reasons why companies are moving factories out of China ...

Innovation through sharing of vape and HT technologies discussed at GTNF

Written by Freddie Dawson | 13th October 2023

Future innovation in vaping and tobacco alternatives is likely to involve environmental improvements and prevention of youth usage, said speakers at the Global Tobacco and Nicotine Forum ...

Vaping associations unite in new global alliance to tackle industry challenges

Written by Freddie Dawson | 15th September 2023

A new industry association, the Global Vape Alliance, brings together major international vaping bodies to globally unify industry responses to issues facing the vaping sector ...

What’s in a name? Another round begins in the fight for the right to be called Elf

Written by ECigIntelligence | 6th July 2023

In the latest twist in a bitter legal trademark battle between rival e-cigarette firms, the makers of Elf Bar disposable vapes are fighting the court order that prompted them to change the product’s name ...

‘Bad legal advice’ led Smoore to pursue patent case it was never going to win

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 6th April 2023

A claim by Smoore Technology that 38 cannabis companies infringed the Chinese firm’s patents had very little chance of success with the US International Trade Commission, according to legal experts ...

Tighter regulations and flavour ban impact Chinese vape companies

Written by ECigIntelligence | 13th January 2023

The number of companies involved in the Chinese vaping market may be far lower than previously thought, with some having left the market and others never having been active at all ...

Where do we go now? ECigIntelligence’s guide to regulation expected in 2023

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 3rd January 2023

Disposables and youth vaping are likely to be the major themes for vaping in the year ahead, affecting debates on matters such as taxes, flavour bans and environmental measures ...

Nothing certain except flavour bans and taxes – that was the e-cig year that was

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 30th December 2022

Bans on flavours and taxes on vaping products dominated the e-cigarette news agenda in 2022. Both could be seen as responses to still rising concern about youth vaping ...

Child-appealing packaging and marketing attracts FDA warning letters

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 5th December 2022

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued warning letters to one US and four Chinese vaping companies for marketing and packaging their products in a way that may be particularly appealing to children...

Tighter controls at home may encourage Chinese e-cig firms to focus on exports

Written by Freddie Dawson | 17th November 2022

Domestic tax provisions and tightened regulations have led to Chinese e-cigarette brands looking to new international markets as higher prices and flavour limits mean fewer vapers at home, according to experts ...

RLX's net revenues are hit by transition to China's new national standards

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 16th November 2022

RLX Technology saw a drop of around 46% in its net revenue for the third quarter of the year but has expressed confidence that its sales will gradually recover and its diversified portfolio will continue...

E-cig tax should be easy to implement, but will new rules affect Chinese market?

Written by Freddie Dawson | 16th November 2022

China’s new e-cigarette tax should not prove too heavy an administrative burden, according to experts. But it remains unclear what impact new regulations brought in earlier this year will have on the domestic market ...

Less than a week's warning as China introduces taxes on e-cigarettes

Written by Marija Obradovic | 26th October 2022

In a move which will have taken China's e-cigarette industry by surprise, several Chinese state authorities have jointly announced plans to levy a consumption tax on e-cigarettes from next week ...

Chinese licensing ‘will benefit importers, exporters and the wider e-cig industry’

Written by Lorraine Mullaney | 12th October 2022

Firms importing vaping products from China should check that their suppliers have the appropriate licence to meet the requirements of new legislation ...

Revenue down, but tighter Chinese rules 'will help RLX become more efficient'

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 27th September 2022

RLX Technology has reported a drop in its net revenue for the second quarter of 2022 while it transitions to comply with new regulatory requirements in China ...

ASA sends reality check to Relx, others posting unclear ads on social media

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 1st July 2022

No posts from e-cigarette companies concerning vaping – whether advertorial or informational – should appear on Instagram, and companies are responsible for policing relevant social media content posted by affiliated influencers, even if they did...

China Tobacco ready to start licensing vape retailers under new regulations

Written by Marija Obradovic | 14th June 2022

China’s Tobacco Monopoly Administration is ready to begin licensing e-cigarette retailers, with existing vape stores taking priority ...

RLX seeks balance between compliance and growth following Q1 revenue drop

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 25th May 2022

RLX Technology saw a drop of 28.5% in net revenue for the first quarter of 2022 and warns of future business impact from regulatory restrictions ...

China bans synthetic nicotine, while new e-cig standard could affect global market

Written by ECigIntelligence | 3rd May 2022

Synthetic nicotine, and nicotine-free e-liquids, will be banned in China from 1st October, when the country’s standard for e-cigarettes takes effect, potentially have a major impact on worldwide supplies ...

Aquios hopes to make a big splash with innovative water-based e-liquid range

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 28th April 2022

A new range of e-liquids containing 30% water – said to be the highest ever – could be the biggest innovation since the introduction of nicotine salts, the company behind it claims ...

Smoore puts faith in new testing lab to meet Chinese and export standards

Written by ECigIntelligence | 26th April 2022

Chinese e-cigarette company Smoore has opened what it is calling the vaping industry’s first laboratory to test for extractable and leachable (E&L) substances ...

China’s upcoming ban on e-cigarette flavours could hurt domestic producers

Written by ECigIntelligence | 29th March 2022

Beijing has recently announced a set of regulations that will tighten control on the vaping industry, and experts say China’s new and tightened scrutiny on e-cigarettes will likely hurt domestic producers ...

China to ban e-cig flavours – and RELX is perfectly relaxed about the new rules

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 15th March 2022

All e-liquid flavours other than tobacco will be banned in China from 1st May, according to the country’s Tobacco Monopoly Administration, which has confirmed administrative measures for e-cigarettes proposed in December ...

Where do we go from here? How new rules will affect world vape markets

Written by Freddie Dawson | 31st January 2022

Consumers will continue to increasingly spread usage out over different alternative nicotine products, partly driven by further, stricter vaping regulation across the globe throughout 2022, ECigIntelligence predicts ...

ECigIntelligence's 2021 predictions reviewed: did our crystal ball work?

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 27th January 2022

We look back at predictions ECigIntelligence published at the start of 2021. Real events and developments confirmed ECigIntelligence’s analysis in many cases, though Covid delayed things ...

Global Trends survey details slowdown in growth of worldwide vaping market

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 12th January 2022

Vaping products have continued to take a share of the worldwide retail market away from smokable tobacco over the past three years, with sales of combustible cigarettes declining by 5% – but the rate of...

2021 reviewed: false dawn for vaping, or some light showing at the tunnel's end?

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 10th January 2022

Could 2021 be remembered as the year we first started to see some light at the end of the tunnel? Only time will tell for sure, but there were clues ...

RLX blames 'volatile market' for what it expects to be a temporary revenue drop

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 7th December 2021

RLX Technology saw a drop of 34% in its net revenue for the third quarter of the year but has expressed optimism that this will be a temporary reversal ...

China brings e-cigarettes under the national Tobacco Monopoly Law

Written by ECigIntelligence | 29th November 2021

Li Keqiang, premier of the State Council of China, has approved with immediate effect an addition to the Tobacco Monopoly Law, clarifying what has been a grey area surrounding the regulation of e-cigarettes ...

Vaping products make up 36% of patent applications for alternatives to smoking

Written by ECigIntelligence | 18th October 2021

Patents for tobacco alternatives have been booming in recent times as tobacco companies position themselves as contributors to a smoke-free world, with a 9.1% year-on-year increase in patents related to vaping ...

It’s PSG-eekvape as e-cig maker gains promotion with leading football club

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 25th August 2021

Chinese e-cigarette manufacturer Geekvape has signed a deal with top French football club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) for the 2021-2022 season – a deal tied up in regulatory restrictions ...

RLX blames threat of tighter Chinese regulation for Q2 slowdown in growth

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 20th August 2021

RLX Technology has reported a slowdown in its revenue growth for the second quarter of the year due to “external factors” ...

China confirms its suspicious attitude towards 'unsafe' and 'harmful' e-cigs

Written by ECigIntelligence | 25th June 2021

Chinese authorities and the World Health Organization (WHO) have concluded that e-cigarettes are both “unsafe” and “harmful” in a report that assesses the health risk of vaping products ...

US investor sues Relx for not explaining risk of tightened Chinese regulations

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 16th June 2021

A Relx shareholder has filed a lawsuit in the US accusing the Chinese e-cigarette manufacturer of misinterpreting potential regulatory risk when filing for the US initial public offering (IPO) last October ...

Legal uncertainties are cramping the vaping industry worldwide, says Relx

Written by ECigIntelligence | 19th April 2021

Changes and uncertainty over regulatory approach in some big vaping markets, and the rise in compatible products, are major current challenges for big players in the e-cigarette industry, such as Relx International ...

Upheaval in China as draft e-cigarette regulations threaten massive changes

Written by ECigIntelligence | 25th March 2021

A new draft amendment to the Chinese Tobacco Monopoly Law to regulate tobacco-alternative products, including e-cigarettes, as traditional tobacco threatens big changes to the local vapour market, and has already hit share prices ...

Relx aims to raise $1bn in US stock sale amid concerns over regulation and tariffs

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 21st January 2021

China’s leading e-cigarette company, Relx, is hoping to raise up to $1.17bn from a US initial public offering (IPO) on the New York Stock Exchange ...

Beijing kicks off China's second round of inspections of vaping businesses

Written by Tao Hong | 21st January 2021

The Chinese government is increasing the regulatory pressure on the vaping industry and expects to strengthen the supervision of the e-cigarette market in the country this year ...

Chinese e-cigarette leader Relx moves towards $100m US stock market launch

Written by ECigIntelligence | 6th January 2021

The leading Chinese e-cigarette brand Relx has taken the first formal steps toward an initial public offering (IPO) in the US ...

China's e-cig market faces the possible threat of a government change of heart

Written by ECigIntelligence | 16th December 2020

A major new report from ECigIntelligence examines the Chinese vapour market and finds it could be threatened by a possible government crackdown – and the spectre of a takeover by the giant China Tobacco monopoly...

Podcast: E-cigarettes in China: market, regulation and outlook

Written by ECigIntelligence | 15th December 2020

China’s domestic e-cigarette market has quietly grown to become the world’s third largest by value. With relatively low vaping prevalence, high smoking rates, and a huge population, it has significant potential for further growth. But...

Chinese officials inspect and remove e-cig vending machines – but is it legal?

Written by Marija Obradovic | 30th September 2020

Chinese officials have inspected more than 1,000 e-cigarette vending machines in the last two months – but there is some confusion within the industry about the legality of their actions ...

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