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Customs officers have seized more than 500,000 e-cigarette products worth about $100 million after regulations banning the export of Chinese vapes and vaping products were issued.
An estimated 500,000 vape products worth about $100 million were seized at the Hong Kong and Shenzhen borders.
These devices were seized by Chinese Customs and Border Guard officers in Shenzhen and Hong Kong.
“E-cigarettes are a serious safety hazard and they threaten our economic security by hurting legitimate tobacco companies, who invest huge amounts of time and effort in developing and protecting their brands,” said People’s Bank of China Chief Financial Officer Wang Xia in a statement released last Monday.
The total number of goods seized in Shenzhen is expected to increase in the coming weeks due to the large number of shipments still being processed, according to Shenzhen officials.
The report goes on to mention that with e-cigarette production moving to other countries, many brands have made plans to move operations to Laos or the Philippines, even though they will face higher labor costs, pushing up the cost of their products to the end consumer. “There’s no other way, we have to face it,” said Atom Vapes CEO Q Shah.
Vaping industry workers can't believe what's happening.
Earlier this month, the Chinese government announced that manufacturers must completely cease operations amid concerns about the future of China's tobacco industry and falling sales in recent years.
The China Consumer Safety Commission (CPSC) is investigating several companies that manufacture and sell e-cigarettes. In a statement released last week, CPSC Chairman Jin Taobao also noted that all e-cigarette manufacturers should cease operations or face consequences.
On Tuesday, the city of Shenzhen publicly banned the use of vapes and e-cigarettes. In a statement released Tuesday by Jang Lao, he said, "Any individual caught using vapes or e-cigarettes will face heavy fines and possible detention."
Source: Newyorktimes - http://timesnewyork.com/e-cig-exports-banned-in-china
