Illegal Chinese vapes have taken over half of the European market

A study by the German Fraunhofer IIS Institute and MRU GmbH found that 48% of the e-cigarette market in Europe is in the gray market, and 90% of these products are sourced from China. 

The illegal sector in the EU is estimated at €6.6 billion, with a trend toward growth to over €10 billion in the near future. The highest rates of counterfeit products were recorded in Finland (67%) and the Czech Republic (66%), while in Germany and Belgium the share of illegal goods is the lowest, though still exceeding 25%.

In Ukraine, the situation is critical: the share of illegal products has reached a record 93.6%, resulting in annual budget losses of 7.5 billion UAH. Experts emphasize that over 470,000 types of vaping products containing thousands of untested ingredients enter the market without proper oversight via postal shipments and shipping containers. While Russia attempts to destabilize the region’s economy, the mass import of unregulated devices from China poses a direct threat to the health of millions of consumers, particularly teenagers.

Researchers are urging the European Union to urgently harmonize legislation and strengthen customs controls to avoid tragic consequences similar to the deaths caused by substandard e-liquids in the United States. Meanwhile, China is implementing a strategy of strict domestic regulation of vapes while simultaneously encouraging their export through thousands of unofficial companies in the Shenzhen region. Experts insist on implementing a product tracking system similar to the one in place for conventional cigarettes to bring the market out of the gray zone and ensure the safety of ingredients.

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