Some E-Cigarette Makers Moving Manufacturing From China to U.S.

Some e-cigarette manufacturers are moving production facilities from China to the United States because of concerns over quality of the products. Reuters reports the companies are also concerned about tighter regulations, in light of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) proposed new rules that would allow the agency to regulate e-cigarettes.

E-cigarette companies including Mistic and White Cloud recently announced they would move production to U.S. facilities, where they can better track ingredients and quality.

Under the proposed rules, manufacturers of e-cigarettes and cigars would have to register with the FDA, give the agency a detailed account of the products’ ingredients, describe their manufacturing process and scientific data and submit to FDA inspections. Until now, there has been almost no federal oversight of e-cigarettes.

“As a general rule, the FDA regulation will require more control over the manufacturing process,” said Bryan Haynes, an attorney at Troutman Sanders, a Richmond, Virginia law firm that represents e-cigarette companies. He said more companies plan to move production to the United States because it “could make compliance easier.”

Many e-cigarette companies produce the nicotine liquid used in e-cigarettes in the United States, and ship it to China, where the devices are assembled.

White Cloud will move manufacturing of its e-cigarettes from China to an automated factory in the United States. The company says the move will make production faster and more precise. “We can deliver a much more uniform product because we’re not reliant on someone’s eye,” said Rob Burton, Director of Corporate and Regulatory Affairs. The company has been hand-filling the nicotine liquid into e-cigarettes in its Chinese facility.

Mistic’s Chief Executive, John Wiesehan, said there is a perception that e-cigarettes made in China are of inferior quality. “I wanted to remove that stigma,” he said.