Top 10 Major Events Of Vape Industry in 2025 | China and Global

From the US FDA increasing enforcement efforts to the UK vape users surpassing traditional smokers for the first time
From the changes in China’s vape export pattern to the strategic adjustments of major global enterprises
In 2025, the vape industry will move forward amidst challenges and opportunities. The introduction of a series of laws and regulations will bring about rapid changes in the production and market of vapes. The continuous occurrence of major events will make the hearts of millions of practitioners dance with them.
Today, by reviewing policy changes, market data, and corporate dynamics over the past year, we have summarized the following ten major events, which together outline the development trajectory of the global vape industry in 2025.

US PMTA regulatory upgrade and approval of menthol vapes for the first time

By 2025, the US FDA’s regulation of electronic cigarettes will reach new heights. Multiple states have begun implementing the PMTA (Premarket Tobacco Product Application) catalog law, requiring electronic cigarette products to be approved by the FDA before they can be marketed for sale.
Texas, Wisconsin, Arkansas, and California have successively implemented new regulations since September 1st, strictly restricting product packaging, ingredients, origin, and advertising placement.
In July, the FDA approved 5 Juul Labs Inc. vape products, including JUUL devices, Virginia Tobacco flavored and menthol flavored JUUL pods, bringing the total number of compliant products in the US market to 39.
This is the first time that the FDA has approved menthol flavored vapes, breaking previous strict restrictions on non tobacco flavors.
The FDA v. Wages&White Lion Investments LLC case heard by the Supreme Court may redefine the FDA’s criteria for refusing PMTA seasoning products, becoming a potential turning point in the industry.
The Senate Appropriations Committee also urged the FDA to accelerate its review process, requiring it to invest at least $200 million in the 2026 fiscal year to combat illegal products.

Reference: FDA Launched Web-based PMTA Optimize Tobacco Application System

Chinese vape exports to the United States hit a historic high

Despite the tightening of regulatory policies in the United States, Chinese vape exports to the United States have shown a counter trend growth.
In November 2025, China’s exports of vapes to the United States reached 549 million US dollars, maintaining a high level after the peak of 591 million US dollars in October.
The cumulative export to the United States in the first 11 months of 2025 reached 3.72 billion US dollars, surpassing the total amount for the whole year of 2024. This data reflects the strong demand for vapes in the US market and also indicates the adaptability of China’s supply chain.
From the perspective of export structure, the top five export destinations (the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates) together account for 62.90% of the overall export value. The United States remains the largest export market for Chinese vapes, but emerging markets such as the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia have performed well, with export amounts increasing by 59.19% and 48.43% year-on-year, respectively.

Reference: China Vape Export Rebound To 1.098 Billion USD in October

RLX Technology’s international business has risen, with revenue increasing by nearly 50% year-on-year

On November 14th, RLX Technology announced its third quarter financial report, with net revenue reaching 1.1293 billion yuan (158.6 million US dollars), a year-on-year increase of 49.3% and a month on month increase of 28.3%.
International business revenue contributes up to 72%, becoming the core driving force behind performance. The founder, chairman, and CEO of the company, Wang Ying, stated that by increasing investment in the retail network in the international market and launching localized products, the company has consolidated its leading position in key markets in the Asia Pacific and Europe. The oral solution film product independently developed by RLX Technology has been launched in the UK, marking an important step for the company in product diversification and user experience upgrade. The company’s CFO, Lu Chao, emphasized that the financial situation is stable, laying a solid foundation for the continued implementation of the shareholder feedback plan.

Shenzhen iMiracle Technology Accelerates Layout in the Middle East Market

On October 30, 2025, Hong Kong listed company HSSP INTL announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary East Nova Limited has signed an agreement with COTY Holding Limited to jointly establish a joint venture in the United Arab Emirates to carry out the distribution of vape products in the Middle East.
The joint venture company has obtained exclusive distribution rights for the “LOST MARY” brand under the global vape giant company iMiracle, with target markets including Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Egypt in the Middle East. This move is a microcosm of China vape industry chain actively exploring emerging markets.
From January to September 2025, China’s exports of vapes to the United Arab Emirates increased by 59.19% year-on-year, ranking fourth in terms of export value. The Middle East is becoming a new growth point in the global vape market, attracting more and more Chinese companies to expand their presence.

China strengthens full chain supervision of vape industry exporting

In 2025, China will further tighten its regulation of vapes. The General Office of the State Council has issued the “Opinions on cracking down on illegal activities related to tobacco throughout the entire chain”, strengthening the supervision of vapes in all aspects. The document requires strict investigation and punishment of illegal activities such as the production, wholesale, transportation, and sale of vapes, as well as the export and “return import” of vapes. It is strictly prohibited to produce and sell tobacco and nicotine containing products such as cigarettes and nicotine pouches without permission.
On May 27, 2025, the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration held a press conference to introduce the relevant situation of vape regulation. Liu Peifeng, spokesperson for the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration, stated that since 2024, tobacco monopoly bureaus at all levels have deployed 190000 law enforcement inspectors, jointly enforced 6948 laws, and completed full coverage inspections of 21000 vape operators.

The US FDA launches the largest ever crackdown on illegal vapes

On September 10th, the FDA and CBP (U.S. Customs and Border Protection) conducted a joint enforcement operation in Chicago, seizing nearly 4.7 million unauthorized vape products with an estimated retail value of $86.5 million. This operation is officially referred to as the ‘largest scale seizure in history’ case.
In May 2025, the FDA seized nearly 2 million illegal vape products with an estimated retail value of $33.8 million. Less than four months later, this record was significantly refreshed.
The FDA has found that most of these illegal vape products originate from China, with many containing vague descriptions and incorrect price information aimed at evading tariffs and import safety reviews.
The FDA has also issued over 750 warning letters to vape manufacturers and retailers, and filed civil penalty complaints against 87 manufacturers and over 175 retailers.

Reference: Midwest Goods Warehouse Be Inspected Over 600000 Products

Domestic vape regulatory policies intensify, Zhuhai Qisitech co. ltd suspends operations for rectification

In 2025, China will further strengthen its regulation of vapes. The State Tobacco Monopoly Administration requires vape companies to strictly follow the principle of approved production capacity management, and production capacity adjustments must go through the licensing process again. The policy emphasizes “maintaining the basic stability of approved production capacity” and requires enterprises not to produce beyond the approved scale. Violations will face the risk of qualification adjustment. This mechanism forces enterprises to optimize resource allocation through rigid constraints on production capacity, and it is expected that the industry’s capacity utilization rate will increase by 15-20 percentage points by 2025.
In the second half of this year, Zhuhai Qisitech co. ltd(Geekbar) suspended operations for nearly three months for rectification.
And two well-known e-liquid factories were shut down for half a month to a month respectively.
Statistics show that by 2025, the compliance rate of vape industry licenses will increase to 92%, and the proportion of illegal production capacity will be reduced to less than 5%.

Reference: Chicago Seized Nearly 2 Million Unauthorized Vape Products

UK vape users surpass cigarette users for the first time, marking a historic turning point

By 2025, the number of vape users in the UK will reach 5.4 million, surpassing cigarette users for the first time (4.9 million); .
The usage rate of vapes (10%) also narrowly surpassed cigarettes (9.1%).
This historic turning point marks that vapes have become the mainstream nicotine consumption method in some markets.
Meanwhile, PMI’s third quarter financial report showed that its revenue from new tobacco products accounted for 41%, an increase of 2.9 percentage points compared to the same period last year.
The accelerated transformation of traditional tobacco giants further validates the growth trend of new tobacco.
To protect young people, the UK government is promoting the Tobacco and Vape Act, which prohibits people born after 2009 from purchasing tobacco products and restricts the taste, packaging, and advertising of vapes. These measures aim to balance the relationship between public health and industry development.

Reference: Salute to UKVIA John Dunne Sharing UK Vape Market | Vape Manufacturer

Southeast Asian country Philippines files large-scale tax lawsuit against vape brands

On April 29th, the Philippine Internal Revenue Service filed a criminal lawsuit with the Department of Justice, accusing Flava, Denkat, and Flare, three vape brands, of tax evasion, with unpaid taxes totaling 8.68 billion Philippine pesos (approximately 1.12 billion yuan). This case is a microcosm of Southeast Asian countries strengthening their regulation of electronic cigarettes.
With the expansion of the global vape market, governments around the world are regulating market order and protecting tax interests through legal means. The importance of the Southeast Asian market for China’s vape exports is increasingly prominent.
From January to September 2025, China’s exports of vapes to Indonesia increased by 48.43% year-on-year, ranking fourth in terms of export value.
The tax regulation in the Philippines may affect the future market strategy of Chinese electronic cigarettes in the region.

UK once replaced US as China’s largest monthly export market for vapes

In June 2025, the United Kingdom replaced the United States as the largest export destination for Chinese vapes. This change reflects the dynamic adjustment of the global vape market landscape.
Affected by the ban on disposable vapes in the UK, the trade volume of “other non combustible products containing nicotine” (mainly disposable vapes) exported from China to the UK from January to June 2025 decreased by 53.51% year-on-year.
The trade volume of “vapes and similar personal electronic atomizing devices” (mainly refillable vapes and other devices) exported to the UK increased significantly by 199.05% year-on-year.
This indicates that Chinese companies are actively adapting to changes in regulatory policies in various countries and flexibly adjusting their product structure.

The above is a summary of the major events in the vape industry in 2025

In the past year, too many things have happened that we will never forget.
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