70 House GOP members urge Trump admin on Chinese-vape crackdown

"Any new trade agreement with China should require the Chinese government, through its oversight of e-cigarette exports, to take decisive action to curb the influx of illegal, youth-oriented e-cigarettes that openly flout U.S. and Chinese law."

"Cracking down on illegal Chinese vapes is not only smart policy - it's what voters want, and members of Congress are right to act on it," the operative wrote in a statement.

In one of the largest operations, Health and Human Services, through the Food and Drug Administration and Customs and Border Protection, said they seized 4.7 million unauthorized e-cigarette units in Chicago with an estimated retail value of $86.5 million, calling it the largest-ever seizure of its kind.

The broader administration crackdown has extended beyond ports of entry. In September 2025, the DEA said its "Operation Vape Trail" seized more than 2.3 million vape devices and cartridges and more than 100 weapons during a nationwide enforcement action targeting illegal substances in vape shops.

That enforcement record helps explain why Republican strategists see the issue as unusually strong politics.