Mike Carey

WASHINGTON - A group of Republican congressmembers led by Columbus’ Mike Carey want the Trump administration to use ongoing trade negotiations with China to block illegal Chinese e-cigarettes from flooding into the United States.

Carey this week led 71 GOP lawmakers, including Max Miller of Bay Village, Warren Davidson of Miami County and Mike Rulli of Salem, in a letter that urges Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer to pursue “a binding commitment requiring the Chinese government to stop all e-cigarette exports that fail to comply with U.S. and Chinese law.”

Even though the administration has prioritized stopping “the flow of dangerous and plainly illegal Chinese e-cigarettes” into the United States, the letter says that “Chinese e-cigarette exports to the United States continued to rise during the final quarter of 2025, surpassing $10 billion in that year.”

E-cigarettes, commonly called vapes, are small battery-powered devices that heat a liquid containing nicotine into a vapor that the user inhales. The most common type sold today is a disposable, all-in-one device that comes pre-filled and ready to use right out of the package, with no setup or separate purchase required. They often come in bright colors and are available in flavors that appeal to young people, like fruit, candy, menthol, and mint, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some e-cigarettes look like USB flash drives, pens, smartphones, highlighters, or toys.

Legal e-cigarettes sold in the United States must go through a rigorous Food and Drug Administration review process designed to evaluate whether a product is appropriate for protecting public health before it can be marketed or sold. The illegal Chinese devices at the center of this letter have not gone through that process.

The lawmakers’ March 4 letter framed the issue as both a public health and national security matter.

“The Department of Justice has reported that unauthorized vapes are frequently smuggled from China and sold near schools and military bases, putting minors and service members at risk,” the letter says. “The Drug Enforcement Administration has investigated vape shops in proximity to military installations and found that many are owned or operated by foreign nationals suspected of deliberately targeting military personnel.”

The letter also flags concerns about so-called “smart vapes” — devices that connect to smartphones. Many of them include a digital display screen and other smart phone features such as games, photo wallpaper, touchscreens, and Bluetooth connectivity. Some devices also gamify vaping with animations that display when puffing and reward systems for vaping, such as points and rankings.

The lawmakers warned that such devices “may enable unauthorized access to personal data, cameras, microphones, geolocations, and networks,” and that sensitive information from military personnel could reach the Chinese Communist Party under China’s 2017 National Intelligence Law.

The letter also cites Associated Press reporting that indicates Mexican drug cartels “have secured a dominant share of the illegal market in Mexico and are continuing to expand their operations in the United States.” The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network has identified these products as “a vehicle for trade-based money laundering schemes tied to fentanyl proceeds,” and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms has traced funds from illicit Chinese e-cigarette sales to cartel operations inside the United States, according to the letter.

The lawmakers argued it is “far more efficient to prevent these products from entering the United States from China than it is to intercept such products once they have entered the U.S. domestic supply chain,” and called the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration’s failure to stop the exports “not an administrative lapse” but “a deliberate strategy.”

“The need for action is urgent,” the letter says. “Illicit Chinese e-cigarette makers and their U.S. distributors intentionally design and market products to appeal to young people—using candy flavored cartridges, toy-like designs, and packaging styled after fashion accessories. They rely on influencer marketing on youth-heavy platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. These illegal products often contain carcinogens, toxic additives, and high levels of heavy metals like lead, along with other unknown substances."