releases: https://www.budd.senate.gov/2026/09/23/ahead-of-trump-xi-summit-budd-leads-colleagues-in-calling-out-chinese-effort-to-flood-u-s-markets-with-illicit-dangerous-vapes/
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
This data as json
| url | title | date | year | month | party | chamber | state | member_name | bioguide_id | domain | scraper | source | date_source | text | has_text | collected_at | updated_at |
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| https://www.budd.senate.gov/2026/09/23/ahead-of-trump-xi-summit-budd-leads-colleagues-in-calling-out-chinese-effort-to-flood-u-s-markets-with-illicit-dangerous-vapes/ | Ahead of Trump-XI Summit, Budd Leads Colleagues in Calling Out Chinese Effort To Flood U.S. Markets With Illicit, Dangerous Vapes | 2026-09-23 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Republican | Senate | NC | Ted Budd | B001305 | www.budd.senate.gov | budd | https://www.budd.senate.gov/category/news/press-releases/page/ | scraper | Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ted Budd (R-N.C.) led several of his Republican colleagues in sending a letter to President Trump today, urging him to confront the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on its efforts to flood the United States with illicit, unauthorized vapes. In the letter, the senators call on the administration to press President Xi to enforce the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) existing export rules, halt the manufacturing and exporting of illicit vape products targeting U.S. markets, and cooperate with U.S. enforcement agencies to address the national drug crisis at its source. In the letter, the senators wrote: “China has the power to stop this but has chosen not to. … Beijing enforces this rule selectively while allowing hundreds of millions of illegal e-cigarettes to be exported to the U.S. annually, generating billions of dollars in revenue. This is a deliberate strategy that exploits gaps in U.S. enforcement. … “This is a public health crisis, a national security threat, and a trade-fairness failure at once. Honest American retailers who follow federal law are being undercut by a black market supplied almost entirely from a single country that profits while our families pay the price.” U.S. Senators Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Alan Armstrong (R-Okla.), Ashley Moody (R-Fla.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) joined in co-signing the letter. Read the full letter text HERE or below: Dear Mr. President: As you prepare to meet with President Xi Jinping, I write to urge you to press him on a threat that continues to harm American families, undercut law-abiding retailers, and enrich our foremost geopolitical adversary: the flood of illicit, unauthorized vaping products manufactured in China and smuggled into the United States. I am encouraged that you have previously signaled your intention to raise this issue with President Xi, and I commend the aggressive enforcement your Administration has already undertaken. From Operation Vape Trail to the record maritime seizures that have taken millions of illegal devices off the supply chain, your Administration has sent a clear message. But as long as the source of these products remains untouched, the flow will continue. This must ultimately be solved at its origin, and no one is better positioned to raise this issue with President Xi than you. The scale is staggering. Thousands of distinct vaping products are currently sold on American shelves, the overwhelming majority of them illegal. A retail-scanner analysis of December 2025 sales found that nearly 70 percent of every dollar spent on e-cigarettes went to products the FDA never authorized, and 97.6 percent of disposable vape sales were unauthorized. Chinese e-cigarette exports to the United States surpassed $4 billion in 2025 alone, and rather than falling under enforcement pressure, they continued to rise through the final quarter of the year. Most importantly, China has the power to stop this but has chosen not to. China’s own State Tobacco Monopoly Administration exercises extensive control over the e-cigarette industry, including exports, and Chinese law expressly bars manufacturers from shipping e-cigarettes to any country where those products are illegal. Beijing enforces this rule selectively while allowing hundreds of millions of illegal e-cigarettes to be exported to the U.S. annually, generating billions of dollars in revenue. This is a deliberate strategy that exploits gaps in U.S. enforcement. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) can direct regulators to enforce their own rules tomorrow if they choose. Chinese manufacturers disguise shipments as everyday goods to evade customs, then market candy-flavored cartridges and toy-like designs in packaging styled to appeal to children. Many contain carcinogens, toxic additives, and heavy metals. The Department of Justice reports these products are sold near schools and military bases, putting minors and service members at risk. The emerging generation of Chinese “smart vapes,” which connect to smartphones, also raises a distinct cybersecurity threat if used by military personnel, potentially routing personal data and network access to the Chinese Communist Party. The illicit trade has further become a revenue stream for Mexican cartels and a vehicle for fentanyl-linked money laundering. This is a public health crisis, a national security threat, and a trade-fairness failure at once. Honest American retailers who follow federal law are being undercut by a black market supplied almost entirely from a single country that profits while our families pay the price. I respectfully ask that you urge President Xi to direct the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration to enforce its own export rules, to halt the manufacture and export of these illicit products, and to cooperate directly with U.S. enforcement agencies in stemming the flow at its source. The CCP has the power to shut this trade down. I stand ready to work with your Administration to advance this shared priority. Sincerely, /X/ ### | 1 | 2026-09-24T09:44:48Z | 2026-09-24T09:45:52Z |