Krishnamoorthi, Moolenaar, Johnson Send Letter to DOJ, DHS, FDA Urging Action Against E-Cigarettes Smuggled in the U.S.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI), and Congressman Dusty Johnson (R-SD) of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party sent a letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) urging the agencies to take decisive action against the influx of illicit electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), such as e-cigarettes, that are being smuggled into the United States, particularly from the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

The letter, addressed to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and FDA Acting Commissioner Sara Brenner, urges the addressed agencies to work in closer coordination and leverage enforcement authorities to combat the large-scale smuggling of illicit vaping products. 

“The illegal importation of PRC-made vapes into the United States violates FDA regulations and, in many cases, is an act of criminal smuggling under U.S. law,” the lawmakers write. “This is because any ENDS product that has not received marketing authorization from the FDA is on the market unlawfully. PRC vape manufacturers also exploit regulatory loopholes and actively evade FDA oversight, exporting vapes to the U.S. market with unapproved and hazardous products.”

The letter comes after the Select Committee documented and launched an inquiry into the PRC manufacturers’ manipulative labeling, the changing of product names to circumvent import bans, and the usage of fraudulent QR codes to mislead regulators.

Read the letter in its entirety HERE.

Read more about Ranking Member Krishnamoorthi's efforts to end youth vaping in all its forms HERE.