Oregon Senator Ron Wyden has begun speaking with the U.S. International Trade Commission about ways to track and report e-cigarette imports. E-cigarette imports aren’t currently tracked in their own separate category, rather they are categorized under ‘small electronic devices’.
Some are questioning, however, why they need to be tracked in the first place.
Even though the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed to categorize e-cigarettes as tobacco products in 2014, e-cigs are still not being put though the same testing that tobacco cigarettes are, nor are they subject to the same health regulations. Comparatively, tobacco cigarettes must pass certain guidelines to be imported into the country and they are subject to import tariffs and/or excise taxes, which e-cigarettes are not.
Through the course of Wyden’s letter, he details the revenue that the U.S. could garnish by imposing import tariffs on foreign e-cigarettes, as well as how public health could be impacted. Nevertheless, Wyden does not answer the question of why foreign e-cigarette imports should be tracked. Wyden also does not discuss how this regulation would be carried out.
The information provided (and excluded) from the letter would lead to assumptions that these musings are geared toward the profits that could be brought in from imposing an import tax on e-cigarettes. That said, however, the focus should be on whether these foreign imports are made with high-quality materials and are safe (properly working) devices.
Simply put, purchasing foreign, unregulated and untested e-cigarettes is dangerous. You have no idea whether the device was designed correctly. It is especially important to make sure you’re purchasing (and using) good-quality batteries. If used properly, the risk of lithium ion batteries exploding is virtually eliminated.
Ninety percent of imported e-cigarettes come out of China, where some products have been known to be bootlegged and passed off as brand name products in the hopes of making a quick buck. That’s not to say Chinese products are inferior – in fact, that’s where e-cigs first originated. However, there are unscrupulous individuals in the world driven by the prospect of easy money.
If you’re in the market for a new e-cigarette, look no further than VaporFi! We are proud to offer high-quality e-cigarettes at great prices. Please take the time to visit us, browse our starter kits and check out our blog and knowledge center.
Gianna Del Monte is the Brand Manager at VaporFi. She has been in the vaping industry since June 2015 and has extensive experience in successfully managing and marketing a variety of new vapor product launches. Originally from New Jersey, Gianna has lived in the Miami area for the last 5 years.
