US officials block Elf Bar-maker from importing 1.4 million illegal e-cigarettes
U.S. officials recently seized more than 1.4 million illegal e-cigarettes from the Chinese manufacturer behind Elf Bar
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. agents recently seized more than 1.4 million illegal e-cigarettes from the Chinese manufacturer behind Elf Bar, a line of fruity disposable vapes that has become the top brand among American teens, officials said Thursday.
Officials pegged the value of the e-cigarettes seized at Los Angeles International Airport at $18 million and said they included several related brands, including Lost Mary, Funky Republic and EB Create, according to a statement from the Food and Drug Administration. The agency announced the seizure with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which helped conduct the operation.
Many of the containers were deliberately mislabeled as toys, shoes and other household items in order to evade customs, the agencies said. FDA records show regulators intercepted the shipment on Nov. 6 from iMiracle Shenzhen, which makes Elf Bar and other disposable electronic cigarettes.
It's the first time authorities have reported successfully blocking the company from getting its vapes into the U.S., where they have generated hundreds of millions of dollars in sales since late 2021. In May, the FDA instructed customs officials to begin seizing shipments from iMiracle and several other companies.
