China e-cigarette titan behind 'Elf Bar' floods the U.S. with illegal vapes

A new type of e-cigarette has become popular among teenagers, despite concerns from regulators. Zhang Shengwei, a veteran of China’s vape industry, has quietly become one of the world’s largest vape manufacturers. His company, Heaven Gifts, competes with giants like Juul Labs and British American Tobacco. Although Zhang complied with regulations requiring lower nicotine levels and government registration in the UK, his company ignored regulations on new products in the US, flooding the market with flavored vapes. Zhang has also avoided the temptation of the vast Chinese market, where competing companies have suffered from a domestic ban on flavored vapes. China has been more successful than other countries in curbing youth vaping, due to its communist government’s strict regulation and punitive measures. Chinese firms are still able to export candy-flavored vapes, despite the domestic ban. Despite the US Food and Drug Administration’s restrictions, Chinese vape manufacturers like Heaven Gifts have been able to sell their products in the US without authorization. The FDA lacks the resources to effectively police the importation of cheap Chinese vapes. The prevalence of illegal vapes in the US market is enabling companies like Heaven Gifts to make substantial profits.