AsiaAsia PacificGeneral NewsGovernment regulationsHealthU.S. Food and Drug AdministrationVaping Elf Bar Circumvents U.S. Import Restrictions Through Strategic Rebranding by Joshua Brown October 14, 2023 written by Joshua Brown October 14, 2023 5 comments Bookmark 56 Four months subsequent to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issuing directives to confiscate imports of Elf Bar, a leading Chinese disposable e-cigarette brand, the products continue to saturate U.S. markets, chiefly due to a name change. Retail outlets in key cities such as Washington D.C., New York, and Philadelphia persist in offering the vibrantly packaged e-cigarettes, which come in flavors like strawberry melon and boast up to 5,000 “puffs” per unit. Earlier in May, the FDA had instructed customs officers to detain incoming shipments of Elf Bar along with EBDesign, another brand under the same parent company. The recent iterations of these vaping devices now go by a new brand name, EBCreate, and indicate different Chinese manufacturing entities than those previously flagged by the FDA. This alteration draws attention to the limitations of the FDA’s capability to prevent the unauthorized entry of e-cigarettes into the U.S., often facilitated through major shipping centers like Los Angeles and Houston. Desmond Jenson, an attorney specializing in public health law, stated, “E-cigarette manufacturers have consistently demonstrated a lack of good faith. Unless a global deterrent against selling unauthorized products is established, the present situation will persist.” Various advocacy groups, including the one represented by Jenson, have pressed the FDA to mandate unique identification codes on all FDA-regulated tobacco items. This would enable customs officers to identify and confiscate illegal imports. Yet, despite having the legislative authority for nearly a decade and a half, the FDA has not proposed such a system. Brian King, the FDA’s tobacco director, emphasized that the agency is closely observing companies that resort to brand alteration to evade scrutiny. In a formal statement, King affirmed that the FDA has a range of measures to counter such tactics, including adding new brands to its import alerts. Data published in June by The Big Big News revealed that the variety of e-cigarettes available has tripled to over 9,000 since 2020, with Chinese-manufactured disposables accounting for most of this surge. These products primarily feature candy and fruit flavors, making them particularly appealing to teenagers. According to Nielsen, a retail data tracker, Elf Bar has generated over $271 million in U.S. sales in the past year alone. Public records indicate the agility with which Elf Bar rebranded itself following the FDA’s import ban announcement in May. A mere two weeks later, a trademark application for EBCreate was filed by the same patent attorney who had filed for Elf Bar’s earlier brands. The new products also feature the same QR codes and licensing numbers as before, further complicating efforts to distinguish them from the banned items. Meanwhile, calls and emails to iMiracle Shenzhen, the parent company of Elf Bar, have gone unanswered. The FDA’s primary enforcement tools remain warning letters, which serve notice for violation of FDA regulations but have no legal ramifications. To date, iMiracle Shenzhen has not received any such warnings from the FDA, which itself is yet to fully utilize its authority to confiscate unauthorized inventory from sellers. Recent actions by the FDA have focused on penalizing retail outlets like gas stations and convenience stores selling disposable e-cigarettes. Although the FDA has threatened to levy fines and has issued a series of warnings, experts criticize its lackluster efforts to effectively remove illegal products from the marketplace. This case exemplifies the broader challenge that U.S. customs officials face in identifying and intercepting illicit goods among the multitude of daily incoming shipments, a problem that extends beyond e-cigarettes to encompass a variety of banned items. Follow Matthew Perrone on Twitter: @AP_FDAwriter Note: The Big Big News Health and Science Department is supported by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP holds sole responsibility for all content. Table of Contents Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Elf Bar RebrandingWhat tactic did Elf Bar employ to bypass U.S. import restrictions?How effective has the FDA been in preventing the import of unauthorized e-cigarettes?What regulatory measures have been proposed to strengthen FDA’s enforcement?How are the new Elf Bar products (now EBCreate) related to the older ones?What challenges do U.S. customs officials face in intercepting banned products?What actions has the FDA taken against retail outlets selling unauthorized e-cigarettes?What is the broader issue with illicit Chinese imports into the U.S.?How substantial is the U.S. market for Elf Bar and its rebranded version?More about Elf Bar Rebranding Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Elf Bar Rebranding What tactic did Elf Bar employ to bypass U.S. import restrictions? Elf Bar resorted to a strategic rebranding of its products to evade U.S. import restrictions. After the FDA instructed customs officers to detain incoming shipments of Elf Bar, the company changed its brand name to EBCreate, featuring different Chinese manufacturers on the labels. How effective has the FDA been in preventing the import of unauthorized e-cigarettes? The FDA’s efforts to halt the import of unauthorized e-cigarettes, such as Elf Bar, have proven to be limited in effectiveness. Despite FDA directives, the rebranded products continue to be widely available in U.S. markets. What regulatory measures have been proposed to strengthen FDA’s enforcement? Various advocacy groups have urged the FDA to implement unique identification codes on all regulated tobacco items, which would aid customs officers in identifying and seizing illegal products. However, the FDA has not proposed such a system to date. How are the new Elf Bar products (now EBCreate) related to the older ones? The rebranded products, EBCreate, are substantially similar to the older versions. They feature the same QR codes and licensing numbers as the banned items, and the trademark application for EBCreate was filed by the same patent attorney who handled Elf Bar’s previous applications. What challenges do U.S. customs officials face in intercepting banned products? U.S. customs officials face significant challenges in identifying and intercepting banned products among the tens of thousands of shipments arriving daily at U.S. ports. The sheer volume of imports and the use of deceptive practices such as mislabeling make it difficult for customs to thoroughly inspect every shipping container. What actions has the FDA taken against retail outlets selling unauthorized e-cigarettes? The FDA has targeted retail outlets like gas stations and convenience stores that sell disposable e-cigarettes. It has issued warnings and has also threatened to levy the maximum fines allowable under its regulations against violating stores. What is the broader issue with illicit Chinese imports into the U.S.? The issue extends beyond e-cigarettes and includes an array of illicit goods, such as chemicals used to produce the opioid fentanyl. U.S. authorities have been urging the Chinese government to clamp down on the production of such materials, but the influx continues. How substantial is the U.S. market for Elf Bar and its rebranded version? According to retail data tracker Nielsen, Elf Bar generated over $271 million in U.S. sales in the past year. The products, particularly favored by teens, have become ubiquitous despite the FDA’s efforts to ban them. More about Elf Bar Rebranding FDA’s Regulatory Authority Over Tobacco Products U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Role in Importing Goods Public Health Law Center’s Advocacy on E-cigarettes Nielsen’s Retail Data Services U.S.-China Trade Relations Impact of E-cigarettes on Youth Opioid Crisis and Chinese Chemical Imports You Might Be Interested In John Bailey, who presided over the film academy during the initial #MeToo reckoning, dies at 81 Kim Jong Un Visits Vladivostok University Amid Reports of Weapons Talks with Moscow An Intricate Network of Hamas Tunnels Complicates Prospects for Israeli Ground Incursion in Gaza Strip Palestinians call for evacuation of hundreds of patients and newborns from Gaza’s largest hospital Gazans in Peril: No Sanctuary in Sight Amid Continuous Israeli Air Assaults Suspect Apprehended Following Fatal Philadelphia Shooting, Leaving Four Dead, Police Confirm AsiaAsia PacificChinese ImportsE-cigarette MarketFDA RegulationsGeneral Newsgovernment regulationsU.S. Food and Drug AdministrationVaping Share 0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail Joshua Brown Follow Author Joshua Brown is a political commentator who writes about the latest news and trends in national and international politics. He has a keen interest in social justice issues and is passionate about using his platform to give a voice to underrepresented communities. previous post Best Buy to Discontinue Sales of Physical Films: A Shift Expected in the Coming Months next post Individual Pleads Guilty to 2005 Theft of ‘Wizard of Oz’ Ruby Slippers, Leaving Many Questions Unanswered You may also like Bookmark A woman who burned Wyoming’s only full-service abortion... December 28, 2023 Bookmark Argument over Christmas gifts turns deadly as 14-year-old... December 28, 2023 Bookmark Danny Masterson sent to state prison to serve... December 28, 2023 Bookmark Hong Kong man jailed for 6 years after... December 28, 2023 Bookmark AP concludes at least hundreds died in floods... December 28, 2023 Bookmark Live updates | Israeli forces raid a West... December 28, 2023 5 comments Timothy Clark October 14, 2023 - 10:06 am Doesnt surprise me, honestly. Regulation’s always behind innovation, isnt it. Reply Rebecca Davis October 14, 2023 - 2:11 pm Ugh, this makes me mad. FDA needs to step up their game if they’re really gonna protect us. Reply Daniel Smith October 14, 2023 - 3:19 pm It’s all about the money, people. As long as there’s demand, there’ll be supply. Law or no law. Reply Mike Johnson October 14, 2023 - 8:38 pm Wow, Elf Bar really knows how to play the game. Dodging FDA like a pro! Reply Sarah Williams October 14, 2023 - 11:13 pm I can’t believe they’re still selling these things, especially when they’re so popular with teens. Something’s gotta give. Reply Leave a Comment Cancel Reply Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ