China Dominates Global Vaping Production

SHENZHEN, CHINA -SEPTEMBER 25: A quality control worker checks a pods on the production line for the e-cigarette company Mystlabs at First Union, one of China's leading manufacturers of vaping products, on September 25, 2019 in Shenzhen, China. Global production for e-cigarette and vaping products is centered in a five-square-mile district of Shenzhen, China, which is the focal point for roughly 90% of the industrys supply chain. Hundreds of companies in China ranging from large corporations to smaller workshops -- are vying for a part of the international market for e-cigarette and vaping products industry worth an estimated $15 billion USD. With investigations by U.S. health officials into an outbreak of vaping-related illnesses across more than 30 states, there are new concerns about product safety, health effects, and addiction among young people. Chinas government is drafting new standards for manufacturing, safety, and quality control. The regulations are likely months away from taking full effect, though most established e-cigarette manufacturers in China already employ strict quality controls that comply with U.S. and European standards. Still, a growing number of U.S. states, including New York and New Jersey, are moving to ban certain vaping products and electronic smoking devices. Many of the firms are seeking to make inroads into the potentially lucrative Chinese market, where reports say more than 60 percent of adult males smoke. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)