R.J. Reynolds Asks ITC to Ban Disposable Vape Imports
From Vaping360 and Author Jim McDonald:
Tobacco industry giant R.J. Reynolds has filed a U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) complaint, charging multiple manufacturers, distributors and retailers of the most popular disposable vapes with unfair imports. The action follows other Reynolds efforts this year to stem the tide of disposable vapes that compete with its Vuse products.
The ITC has not yet taken action on the complaint. Vaping360 has obtained a copy of the document, which was filed Oct. 13.
Reynolds is asking the ITC to investigate and issue an exclusion order preventing further U.S. imports of the disposable vaping products in question, and to issue a permanent cease and desist order prohibiting the named businesses and their “affiliated companies or divisions” from importing, distributing or selling any of the “accused products.”
Should Reynolds succeed, the market for flavored vaping products that people like could fully shift from a gray market (products sold in legal retail stores; taxes paid) to an underground black market (fully illegal and unreported).