Tag: State Tobacco Monopoly Administration

China Set to Restrict Most E-cigarette Shipments

Photo: ikurdyumov
China’s State Tobacco Monopoly Administration (STMA) plans to limit the number of vapor products a person can carry on them, reports The Global Times.
According to a notice published Nov. 23, a person can possess a maximum of six “smoking devices,” 90 e-cigarette cartridges and 180mL of e-liquid.
On the same day, the STMA and the State Post Bureau jointly announced restrictions on the delivery of vapor products. Each shipment may contain a maximum of two “sets,” six cartridges and 12mL of e-liquid.
Each recipient is allowed to accept delivery of no more than one shipment of vapor products per day.
In April, China’s tobacco regulator approved mandatory national standards for e-cigarettes that came into effect in October.
November 23, 2022
China Authorities Give Production License to RELX

Credit: RLX Technology
RELX Technology has joined a small but growing number of vaping product manufacturers that have received a manufacturing license from China’s State Tobacco Monopoly Administration (STMA).
On Nov. 26, 2021, China’s State Council amended the country’s tobacco monopoly law to include vapor products, giving the STMA authority to regulate the sector.
The STMA license, which is valid until July 31, 2023, allows RLX Technology to manufacture 15.05 million rechargeable vaping devices, 328.7 million cartridges and 6.1 million disposable e-cigarettes per year.
Since the first quarter of 2022, Chinese authorities have issued a series of implementing rules and guiding opinions to strengthen oversight of e-cigarette products and regulate the e-cigarette industry. These rules and opinions set forth that all e-cigarette manufacturing enterprises must obtain a license from the STMA.
“This license represents an important milestone in our strategic roadmap as we strive to comply with the new regulatory requirements in a timely manner,” said Ying (Kate) Wang, co-founder, chairperson of the board of directors and CEO of RLX Technology, in a statement.
“We believe that we are well-positioned to achieve compliance in our operations according to schedule. To adapt to the new market dynamics and ensure business development, we will, and will urge our business partners to, continue making efforts to comply with all applicable regulatory requirements, including, but not limited to, obtaining requisite licenses and regulatory approvals, developing products that meet the mandatory national standards, and processing all transactions via the National E-cigarette Transaction Platform when it is implemented.
“We will remain committed to providing high-quality products that deliver superior performance and safety in strict compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, while exploring new growth opportunities in the industry.”
July 25, 2022
Zinwi Receives E-Liquid Production License

Zinwi Bio-Tech has secured a production license for electronic cigarettes (e-liquid category) in China, becoming one of the first manufacturers to do so under the country’s new regulatory framework.
In March, the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration passed the Electronic Cigarette Administration Measures, which took effect May 1. Under the new rules, a production license issued by the STMA is a precondition for the incorporation of a company involved in the manufacture of vapor hardware, e-liquids or e-cigarette nicotine.
Companies applying for the license must supply documents showing financial and manufacturing fitness, among other evidence.
Zinwi Bio-Tech was established in 2016 and is headquartered in Shenzhen’s Guangming District. A high-tech enterprise integrating the R&D, production and sales of e-liquid, the company ships more than 2,000 tons of e-liquid and approximately 1.3 billion pods per year. Products are exported to Europe, America and Canada, the Middle East, Russia and other destinations.
In a press note, the company said its commitment to quality is demonstrated by numerous accreditations, including the ISO9001 quality system, national CNAS laboratory and GMP certifications.

June 23, 2022
Chinese Vapers Stocking up on E-Liquid Ahead of Flavor Ban

Photo: Victor Moussa
Vapers in China have reportedly been stocking up on flavored liquids in anticipation of a ban. A staff member at a RELX store in Shanghai told Sixth Tone that his shop had seen an increased demand for flavored pods since the government announcement, with grape and cola-flavored varieties selling out almost instantly.
On March 11, the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration published the final “Management Rules for E-cigarettes,” which includes a ban on domestic sales of nontobacco-flavored e-cigarettes. The rules are scheduled to take effect May 1.
The move was welcomed by anti-vaping groups such as the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, which said the rule would help prevent children from becoming smokers. “Children who use e-cigarettes are more than twice as likely to use cigarettes in the future, according to the World Health Organization,” said Yolonda Richardson, executive vice president for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, in a statement. “China’s new policy is the right move to protect Chinese kids from these addictive products.”
The flavor ban is part of a long list of new requirements for the vaping business. China’s new rules also ban refillable products and synthetic nicotine while limiting the strength of e-liquid to 20 mg/mL.
Manufacturers, wholesalers and Chinese retailers will be required to conduct all business on a “unified national electronic cigarette transaction management platform,” and exports will be restricted to vapor products allowed in the destination countries.
The new rules will force e-cigarette sellers like RELX to sell competitors’ brands in their Chinese stores—something they don’t do currently.
With more than 300 smokers, China remains the world’s largest cigarette market, representing considerable potential for vapor companies. The country’s domestic e-cigarette market has grown at a rate of 70 percent a year since 2013, according to the Global Times, and is valued at about $1.3 billion.
China exports $15.6 billion of vaping products annually, according to the Shanghai Daily.
March 21, 2022
Broughton: New China Vapor Laws Present Opportunity

Photo: Smoore
Recent amendments to China’s Tobacco Monopoly Law present an opportunity for responsible companies to demonstrate how alternative high-quality products are an important and appropriate element of tobacco harm reduction, according to Broughton.
Writing on the website of the contract research organization, Broughton’s head of regulatory affairs, Lloyd Smart, and regulatory consultant Xiangyin Wei summarize China’s tobacco monopoly law changes and explain what they means for electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS).
On Nov. 26, 2021, China’s State Council amended the country’s tobacco law, giving the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration jurisdiction over e-cigarettes. Next-generation products will now be managed in the same way as combustible cigarettes.
Among other things, this means that ENDS companies, including exporters, will need to apply for a license. A single transaction platform will be implemented for product distribution and all products must comply with a new national standard. Regulation of products likely to be introduced following an initial transition period of between three and five months, during which no new products may be brought to market. Products with synthetic nicotine will be banned in China.
According to Broughton, the recently announced changes to e-cigarette regulation in China offer an excellent business opportunity for companies that want to build consumer trust by showcasing their product’s high quality and safety standards.
“As with all regulatory requirements, the most important initial step is to understand fully what’s needed—to provide reassurance or identify gaps that need to be addressed. And to act quickly; seizing the opportunity while making sure you don’t get left behind as the market changes,” write Smart and Xiangyin.
January 18, 2022
Cullip: China Could Revolutionize Harm Reduction

Martin Cullip (Photo: Tobacco Reporter archive)
China has the potential to revolutionize global tobacco harm reduction now that its government has asserted authority over e-cigarettes, according to consumer advocate Martin Cullip.
On Nov. 26, China’s State Council on Nov. 26 amended the country’s tobacco monopoly law to include vapor products, which means that vaping products and their manufacturers will be regulated by the Chinese government under the same process as cigarettes.
The announcement triggered feverish speculation about the impact of the new rules, with some commentators fretting that tobacco rules would put vapor companies out of business and others welcoming the prospect of enhanced product safety and quality.
Writing in Filter, Cullip points not only to the vapor industry’s economic significance to China, but also to the potential domestic health benefits of sensible regulation. China, argues Cullip, has a lot to gain from financially from domestic harm reduction, when the country’s high smoking prevalence in an aging population creates heavy costs in health care and lost productivity.
Cullip is also encouraged by China’s willingness and ability to stand up the World Health Organization, which remains ideologically opposed to tobacco harm reduction.
While the government would seem to have much to gain from blocking the growth of safer alternatives such as e-cigarettes and tobacco-heating products—the state-owned CNTC sells more than 40 percent of the world’s cigarettes—there are many incentives for the government to push things in an entirely different direction, according to Cullip.
China manufactures the vast majority of the world’s vape products. More than 170,000 businesses engage in e-cigarette production and the supply chain, employing around 3 million people. The CNTC is also the world’s biggest holder of tobacco harm reduction patents, owning almost 27 percent of all related patent publications.
“It is difficult to imagine the government strangling the market—even if this is motivated more by profit than by its citizens’ health,” writes Cullip.
December 8, 2021
E-Cigarette Leaders Welcome China Tobacco Regulation
China’s recently announced regulatory framework for e-cigarettes should secure the vapor industry’s future in that country, according to leading players in the business.
On Nov. 26, China’s state council amended the tobacco monopoly law to include vapor products, meaning that, going forward, e-cigarettes will be managed like combustible cigarettes.
With more than 300 million smokers—27 percent of adults—China is the world’s largest tobacco market. It also produces about 90 percent of the world’s e-cigarettes, primarily in the technology manufacturing hub Shenzhen.
The government and the tobacco industry are, essentially, one entity in China, with the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration regulating the industry and China National Tobacco manufacturing tobacco products.
To date, the vapor industry in China has operated in a legal grey area. Regulation had been widely anticipated, but many feared that it would wipe out the sector. The Nov. 26 announcement, however, was welcomed by leading players in the business. Industry representatives say it removes uncertainty and will weed out bad actors.
In background article on the recent news from China, Filter cited Smoore global PR manager Frankie Chen, who expects national mandatory standards to significantly improve product safety and provide global vapers with better products.
“Since the standards set higher requirements for vaping manufacturing, it is expected that only the responsible manufacturer with comprehensive safety management can be compliant,” Chen was quoted as saying.
RLX Technology, too, welcomed the new regulatory framework. “We believe the sector will enter a new era of development—an era marked by enhanced product safety and quality, augmented social responsibilities, and improved intellectual property protection,” said RLX Technology chairperson and CEO Ying Wang at the presentation of the company’s third quarter results.
RLX Technology Chief Financial Officer Chao Lu said the company is well prepared for the new operating environment. “The investments we made in products, talents, research, and compliance in the third quarter and beyond will place us in advantageous positions under the new regulatory paradigm,” he said.

Photo: Timothy S. Donahue
December 3, 2021