Elf Bar finds an easy way around US vape import ban: a name change
Chinese disposable e-cigarettes from Elf Bar remain widely available in the U.S. more than four months after U.S. health regulators moved to ban their importation
WASHINGTON (AP) — Four months after U.S. regulators tried to block imports of Elf Bar, the top-selling Chinese disposable e-cigarette remains widely available thanks to a simple but effective tactic: a name change.
Stores in Washington D.C., Philadelphia, New York and other cities remain fully stocked with the brightly colored vapes, sold in fruity flavors like strawberry melon and claiming to contain 5,000 “puffs” per device.
The Food and Drug Administration considers the products illegal. In May, it directed customs officials to seize incoming shipments of Elf Bar and EBDesign, two of the company's U.S. brand names.
The newer vaping devices bear a different name, EBCreate, and list different Chinese manufacturers than those targeted by the FDA.
