China’s Vaping Device Exports to Australia Fall in August, Logistics Providers Say Strict Regulation

According to reports, there are currently very few logistics providers capable of shipping e-cigarettes to Australia, as the country's e-cigarette import policies are extremely strict.

On October 13, based on updated trade data from the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China, statistics showed that in August 2023, China's exports of e-cigarettes to Australia decreased.

The data indicates that both the export value and volume of e-cigarettes from China to Australia have declined. The export value was approximately $16.41 million (about 120 million RMB), a month-on-month decrease of 9.11% and a year-on-year decrease of 20.51%; the export volume was 371,540 kilograms, about 372 tons, a month-on-month decrease of 7.52% and a year-on-year decrease of 4.06%.

According to personnel from e-cigarette freight companies, there are currently very few logistics providers capable of shipping e-cigarettes to Australia due to the extremely strict import policies, complicated compliance procedures, and high risks. If discovered, the goods will be directly confiscated.

Additionally, it was found that from May to September this year, Australia frequently took action to crack down on the import and sale of e-cigarettes, uncovering multiple cases of e-cigarette smuggling and sales.

For example, an Australian e-cigarette distributor was fined AUD 88,000 for selling e-cigarettes. In Western Australia, 300,000 e-cigarettes were seized, valued at millions of AUD, setting a record for the largest single seizure in the country. Furthermore, three e-cigarette brands—IGET, HQD, and GUNPOD—were found to contain prohibited ingredients, and regulatory authorities sent 38 infringement notices to four distributors.