Middlemen Funnel Illegal Chinese Vapes Into The U.S.: Reuters

Operating from an office just 15 minutes from Chicago’s O'Hare International Airport, one small customs brokerage firm played a central role in helping import millions of unauthorized Chinese-made e-cigarettes into the United States last year, Reuters reported.

In 2024, Chinese customs data recorded $3.6 billion (26 billion yuan) worth of vape exports to the U.S.

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Over just four years, the firm—run by a man named Jay Kim—emerged as a go-to broker for the Chinese vape industry.

In 2024, Kim’s company handled 60% of all vape and vape part shipments from China to the U.S. that were registered with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), according to a Reuters analysis.

“A lot of them have FDA authorization,” Kim claimed in an April interview.

However, FDA import data revealed the firm facilitated the entry of unapproved brands such as Lost Mary and Geek Bar—both declared illegal to import or sell by the agency.

The FDA has warned that these products, often flavored like candy or fruit, pose serious risks to youth, whose developing brains are vulnerable to nicotine. A spokesperson for Lost Mary said the company has no affiliation with Kim’s firm.

The Chinese city of Shenzhen remains the largest source of both legal and illicit vape exports to the U.S.

In 2024, Chinese customs data recorded $3.6 billion (26 billion yuan) worth of vape exports to the U.S. Yet American customs data recorded only $333 million in officially received shipments—suggesting widespread under-the-radar imports.