The Trump administration should counter a flood of illegal Chinese vapes and e-cigarettes that are taking over the American market without any approval or oversight from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 71 Republican lawmakers told Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer in a letter.
“These [Chinese vapes] are a threat to national security,” the lawmakers said in their letter, which was obtained exclusively by the Washington Reporter. “The Department of Justice has reported that unauthorized vapes are frequently smuggled from China and sold near schools and military bases, putting minors and service members at risk. The Drug Enforcement Administration has investigated vape shops in proximity to military installations and found that many are owned or operated by foreign nationals suspected of deliberately targeting military personnel.”
The Reporter has covered the dangers of illicit vapes from China, as well as the Trump administration’s successful efforts to counter them.
FDA approval for vape products is critical for Carey. “We cannot allow American markets to be flooded with illegal vaping products without FDA approval,” he told the Reporter. “These Chinese e-cigarettes pose a significant health risk and national security risk to American children and communities, and I urge Secretary Bessent and Ambassador Greer to investigate this problem and take immediate, decisive action.”
Lawmakers emphasized that the need to counter the flood of illegal vapes is stronger “as trade discussions with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) advance.”
“Any new trade agreement with China should require the Chinese government, through its oversight of e-cigarette exports, to take decisive action to curb the influx of illegal, youth-oriented e-cigarettes that openly flout U.S. and Chinese law,” they said.
Many of the letter’s authors are parents and who view the threat from dangerous and illegal Chinese vapes as personal.
“As a mom of teenage boys, I know how hard parents work to keep their kids safe online and at school,” Rep. Ashley Hinson (R., Iowa) told the Reporter. “A huge worry among parents are illegal vapes from China that are being marketed to our kids. President Trump has shown real leadership in confronting China and the illicit flow of drugs, and I’m urging his team to prioritize this issue in trade negotiations and stop these illegal shipments that are targeting and endangering our kids.”
Vapes from China pose threats for multiple reasons, lawmakers explained — from health to national security.
“The need for action is urgent,” they said in the letter. “Illicit Chinese e-cigarette makers and their U.S. distributors intentionally design and market products to appeal to young people — using candy flavored cartridges, toy-like designs, and packaging styled after fashion accessories. They rely on influencer marketing on youth-heavy platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. These illegal products often contain carcinogens, toxic additives, and high levels of heavy metals like lead, along with other unknown substances.”
Rep. Vince Fong (R., Calif.), another signatory, doubled down in a statement to the Reporter.
““Our communities are being flooded with dangerous and illegal vaping products, poisoning our youth who often have no idea what chemicals they are inhaling,” Fong said. “Make no mistake, this is a strategic and conscious effort by the CCP to threaten our public health and undermine our national security. It must be stopped.”
Another signatory is Rep. Pat Harrigan (R., N.C.), a decorated Green Beret, who told the Reporter that China should be held to “the same standard” that North Carolina’s tobacco farmers are held to.
“North Carolina’s farmers have fed and clothed this nation for generations,” Harrigan told the Reporter. “They deserve a trade partner that plays by the rules, not one that floods our communities with illegal, poison-laced products designed to hook our kids.”
“China’s state-controlled tobacco authority is knowingly exporting millions of unauthorized vapes into American neighborhoods, near our schools and military bases, while our growers compete with one hand tied behind their backs,” Harrigan continued. “I’m proud to stand with Congressman Carey and my colleagues in demanding that any trade deal with Beijing include a hard commitment to stop this assault on American public health, American national security, and American farmers. North Carolina doesn’t just grow the world’s finest tobacco, we set the standard for how it’s done legally, safely, and with accountability. It’s time China is held to that same standard.”
Lawmakers want negotiations to be tackled on a government-to-government level because they believe that the flood of dangerous vapes is “a deliberate strategy on the part of the [State Tobacco Monopoly Administration (STMA)] that capitalizes on gaps in U.S. enforcement.”
“Although the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration (STMA) exerts extensive control over the e-cigarette industry in China, including the export of such products, the STMA has allowed massive quantities of illegal e-cigarettes shipments to the United States,” they said. “Any forthcoming agreement with the PRC must ensure that the STMA enforces its existing rules on these illegal exports.”
The threat goes beyond the U.S.-China relationship, lawmakers noted, because “the illicit e-cigarette trade has become an attractive revenue stream for Mexican drug cartels.”
“Associated Press reporting indicates that cartels have secured a dominant share of the illegal market in Mexico and are continuing to expand their operations in the United States,” the legislators wrote. “E-cigarette sales are illegal in Mexico, but demand for these products still exists which has likely led to the rise of cartel involvement in the sale of these devices. The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (a bureau of the Department of the Treasury) has identified these products as a vehicle for trade-based money laundering schemes tied to fentanyl proceeds, and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms has similarly traced funds from illicit Chinese e-cigarette sales to foreign adversaries and cartel operations inside the United States.”
Another threat matrix is in the cybersecurity realm, lawmakers cautioned. “The emergence of Chinese ‘smart vapes’ — which connect to smartphones — poses an additional cybersecurity threat. These devices may enable unauthorized access to personal data, cameras, microphones, geolocations, and networks. If used by military personnel, sensitive information could flow directly to the Chinese Communist Party under China’s 2017 National Intelligence Law, which requires companies to cooperate with state intelligence services.”
Rep. Rudy Yakym (R., Ind.) emphasized that point to the Reporter.
“The Chinese Communist Party has never acted in America’s best interests. Just as they enabled the flow of fentanyl across our borders, devastating American families and communities, they are now using similar tactics to infiltrate our schools, military installations, and youth through the distribution of illegal and dangerous ‘smart vapes,’” he said.
“Protecting our national security has been a top priority for the Trump administration, and I have no doubt they will take the necessary steps to address this threat,” Yakym added.
From Congress’s standpoint, the pitch to the Trump administration should be fairly simple: “the Drug Enforcement Administration has investigated vape shops in proximity to military installations and found that many are owned or operated by foreign nationals suspected of deliberately targeting military personnel,” lawmakers wrote. “One joint operation led to 20 arrests, including three Chinese nationals.”
From their standpoint, the Republicans believe that “the administration has made clear that stopping the flow of dangerous and plainly illegal Chinese e-cigarettes is a national priority. We commend the important work of U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers, who continue to intercept illicit, often misdeclared, shipments. Despite these efforts, Chinese e-cigarette exports to the United States continued to rise during the final quarter of 2025, surpassing $10 billion in that year.”
A Senate source told the Reporter, “This is about as close to a no-brainer issue as you get in Washington. Illegal disposable vapes from China are flooding the country, targeting kids with candy flavors, and undercutting American businesses that follow the law. Parents hate it, lawmakers in both parties hate it, and the federal government has the authority to crack down much harder than it has so far.”
Additionally, a source close to the White House told the Reporter, ““Politically, this is an easy one. Parents across the country are worried about these Chinese-made disposable vapes showing up in convenience stores and schools. There’s broad support for doing more to stop these vapes and expect more to come soon.”
