US senators ask Trump to press China over illicit vape imports

A group of Republican senators is urging President Donald Trump to press China to curb exports of illicit vaping products to the United States. The request comes as Alabama prepares to implement its own restrictions on vaping in public spaces.

U.S. Sens. Katie Britt of Alabama and Ted Budd of North Carolina led the effort to send the president a letter, according to a news release. The senators asked the administration to press Chinese President Xi Jinping to enforce existing export rules, stop the manufacture and export of illicit vape products aimed at U.S. markets, and work with U.S. enforcement agencies.

In the letter, the senators said China could stop the flow of these products but had not done so. They also alleged that enforcement of Chinese rules was selective and that large numbers of illegal e-cigarettes were being exported to the United States each year.

The senators described the issue as a public health, national security and trade-fairness concern. They argued that retailers complying with federal law were being undercut by a black market they said was supplied almost entirely from one country.

Senators cite earlier concerns about youth-targeted products

Other signatories included Tommy Tuberville of Alabama; Thom Tillis of North Carolina; Tom Cotton of Arkansas; Mike Lee of Utah; Bill Hagerty of Tennessee; Alan Armstrong of Oklahoma; Ashley Moody of Florida; Kevin Cramer of North Dakota; and Tim Sheehy of Montana.

According to the release, Britt has previously raised concerns about vaping products targeting young people. She questioned the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives about the issue in May 2026, and pressed then-Attorney General Pam Bondi on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat illegal products in October 2025.