The Illicit Vape Pipeline: How Smugglers Are Flooding the U.S. with Banned Chinese Vapes

A new Reuters investigation has exposed how middlemen are quietly flooding the U.S. with illicit, flavored vapes from China—despite an FDA ban on products that target kids. Using mislabeled shipments and shell import companies, smugglers are slipping disposable brands like Lost Mary and Geek Bar through U.S. ports under the radar. The result: illegal products now make up nearly 70% of the American vape market.

These aren’t harmless knockoffs. They’re high-nicotine, candy-flavored devices packaged to appeal to teens—sold widely in gas stations and convenience stores with little oversight. In one recent joint operation, FDA and Customs agents seized nearly $34 million worth of illegal vapes mislabeled as toys or electronics.

This isn’t just a regulatory failure, it’s a public health crisis. Products the FDA never authorized are addicting a new generation of kids, while overseas manufacturers rake in billions and face no consequences. Domestic retailers and online sellers, meanwhile, continue to profit from a market built on deception.

It’s time for Customs and the FDA to shut this pipeline down. That means tighter port inspections, criminal charges for repeat offenders, and real penalties for retailers caught pushing illegal products.