How Chinese Vapes Flood the U.S. Through Middlemen Networks
Illegal Chinese-made vapes are slipping into the United States on a massive scale, threatening public health and exploiting weaknesses in global trade. A Reuters investigation reveals how Chinese exporters and U.S.-based middlemen are working together to push unauthorized e-cigarettes—many marketed with sweet, youth-targeted flavors—into American communities.
In 2024, China exported more than 26 billion yuan ($3.6 billion) worth of vapes to the United States, according to Chinese customs data. Yet U.S. customs only recorded $333 million worth of incoming vape products that same year—a staggering 90% gap.
Experts say this discrepancy cannot be explained away as a statistical fluke. Instead, it highlights a shadow supply chain funneling illegal products into America, bypassing health regulations designed to protect young people from addiction.
Most of these vapes come from Shenzhen, the world’s e-cigarette manufacturing hub. Many shipments are deliberately mislabeled as toys, shoes, or other harmless goods to evade detection at U.S. ports. Once inside the country, the vapes are passed to local distributors who spread them nationwide.
The investigation points to customs brokers and distributors inside the United States as the critical enablers.
One small Chicago-area brokerage run by Jay Kim handled 60% of all U.S.-bound vape shipments from China in 2024, according to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) records. These shipments included banned brands like Lost Mary and Geek Bar, which are specifically designed with fruity, candy-like flavors that appeal to teenagers.
While customs brokers are not supposed to buy or sell goods themselves, they play a vital role in navigating import paperwork. If they deliberately misclassify goods—or turn a blind eye—they become complicit in illegal trade.
Several newly formed U.S. companies, some registered to residential addresses in Chicago, have already appeared as major recipients of Chinese vape shipments. Many lack websites, contact details, or legitimate business operations, raising suspicions that they are shell companies created solely to distribute contraband.
The consequences are far-reaching. Unauthorized vapes often contain unverified nicotine levels, chemical additives, and unsafe manufacturing standards.
The FDA has repeatedly warned that nicotine harms the developing brains of young people, impacting learning, mood, and attention. The fruity flavors used by Chinese manufacturers are not accidental—they are designed to lure teenagers into lifelong addiction.
By exploiting America’s demand for flavored e-cigarettes, Chinese manufacturers and their U.S. partners are creating what officials describe as an epidemic of underage vaping.
In February 2025, the FDA and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized $34 million worth of illegal vapes in Chicago, one of the largest operations to date. Many of these shipments were deliberately undervalued and mislabeled to avoid red flags.
Over the past two years, FDA and CBP have seized more than 7 million unauthorized e-cigarettes, valued at over $136 million. Yet, despite these efforts, analysts estimate that 70% of all U.S. vape sales still come from illegal products—dominated by Chinese brands.
CBP officials warn that the same smuggling channels used for vapes are also exploited to bring in synthetic opioids, precursor chemicals, and other illicit goods from China.
At its core, this issue is not just about vapes. It is about China deliberately exporting harmful products into the United States to chase profits, regardless of the human cost.
By flooding the U.S. with cheap, addictive devices, Chinese companies are:
This is part of a broader pattern where Chinese industries push unsafe goods abroad—whether toys with toxic chemicals, counterfeit electronics, or illegal drugs—leaving the costs and consequences for foreign societies to bear.
The battle against illegal Chinese vapes is not just about enforcing tobacco laws—it is about safeguarding America’s public health and protecting future generations from addiction engineered overseas.
The fact that so many middlemen inside the U.S. are willing to collaborate with Chinese exporters should alarm every American. These networks represent a national security and public health risk that cannot be ignored.
China’s actions show a clear willingness to exploit America’s open markets. For U.S. consumers, parents, and policymakers, the lesson is urgent: vigilance is the only defense against a foreign supply chain that profits by endangering American lives.
The flow of illegal Chinese vapes into the United States demonstrates how foreign industries can weaponize trade to push harmful products onto American soil. With billions of dollars at stake, Beijing’s vape industry—and its U.S. partners—will continue testing America’s defenses.
Stopping them requires awareness and vigilance. Every seized shipment is proof of the scale of the threat. But the greater challenge lies in dismantling the middlemen networks inside the U.S. that make this pipeline possible.
