On March 11, The State Tobacco Monopoly Administration (STMA), the government agency responsible for the regulation of tobacco products in China, published a new law that will come into effect on May 1st, 2022. Its purpose is to legislatively assimilate the electronic cigarette to the conventional cigarette, and to remove vape products from the legal no man's land where they’ve been up to now.
There is nothing very innovative in this strategy, Switzerland is doing the same. So why are we interested in this issue ? Quite frankly, because China is a separate and influential place where the rules of the game are not the same as elsewhere. And when China sneezes, the rest of the world is afraid to catch a cold.
This law entitled "Administrative measures concerning the electronic cigarette" states that, from now on, vape retailers will have to be registered on a central file to obtain a permit to continue practicing their profession. In addition, manufacturers will have to prove their financial capacity to maintain a satisfactory production, as well as meet strict specifications regarding production rules and quality standards.
According to China, the aim is to standardise production with higher quality criteria and to align tax policy with those of the tobacco industry.