E-cigarette industry reshuffles as national standard to be released in October

On September 23, news reported that the domestic electronic cigarette market is currently in a "three no" state: no clear regulatory authority, no specific laws and regulations, and no quality standards or entry thresholds. For many years, experts in the field of tobacco control and industry associations have been calling for the introduction of relevant laws and regulations, and this situation may change soon.

In October 2017, the national standard plan for "Electronic Cigarettes" was initiated, and the project has now entered the final approval stage before release. A staff member from the Tobacco Standardization Committee stated that the standard has now been submitted to the National Standardization Administration, and when it will be approved and released will be determined by them. According to the project timeline, the national standard for electronic cigarettes is expected to be released in October this year.

A recent report indicated that in 2017, the number of electronic cigarette consumers in China reached 7.4 million, making it the world's largest producer (accounting for 95% of the global share) and exporter (accounting for 90% of the global share) of electronic cigarette products. The immense potential of the Chinese market has become a target for various electronic cigarette businesses from both domestic and foreign markets. As of August this year, financing in the domestic electronic cigarette market has exceeded 1 billion yuan in 2019. The introduction of electronic cigarette standards and the improvement of regulations may lead to a reshuffle in the industry.