(Newswire.net — May 16, 2017) — The vaping industry as a whole had a very tough time in 2016 when new rules and regulations placed by the federal government and the state governments seriously impacted their business across the United States. However, it is currently being estimated that the new Trump administration could alleviate the situation somewhat for struggling e-cigarette manufacturers and sellers in the US. Despite this, a few of the stands taken by the new administration could also work against the interests of the industry, therefore making the situation more complicated than it appeared to be at the beginning. Let’s take a look at the situation as it stands now to understand what to expect.
Crippling Regulations
The vaping industry was and still is viewed with suspicion by a lot of people, in spite of having little to no evidence to suggest that vaping causes any serious health hazards. The most debilitating effect of those suspicions came into effect in May 2016 when the FDA made it mandatory for all vaping products to be controlled and regulated in the same manner as traditional cigarettes. What this means is that all vendors and manufacturers have to submit a premarket tobacco application, which can cost anything in-between $100,000 to $400,000, by August 8, 2018. This could potentially shut down a large section of the vaping industry by the end of 2018.
Trump Brings Hope
Major players in the business are confident that the new government won’t be too enthusiastic in employing FDA’s strict regulations on the vaping industry. In fact, it is quite possible that the new regulations, which are proving to be debilitating for the e-cig industry, can also go through another review. Even if the FDA’s rules and regulations remain unchanged in a worst case scenario, there is hope that the deadline will be extended, giving the vaping industry more time to prepare and respond to the FDA’s rules. However, the recent failure of the Cole-Bishop Amendment has created doubts in the minds of vaping enthusiasts and businesses alike. A lot of hope now lies with Rep. Duncan Hunter’s Bill, which was introduced just last month.
Clash of Interests
Unfortunately, there is one aspect of the Trump administration’s new measures which will not work in the favor of the vaping industry. Most of the vaping equipment manufacturers rely on cheap Chinese labor to assemble e-cigs and accessories such as a vape pen and if the government truly imposes heavy taxes and restrictions on Chinese imports like it is expected to, it could be another nail in the coffin for the business in the US. It would take at least four more years for the industry to become strong enough to face such tariffs and limitations on Chinese imports.
In spite of the optimism, the disappointment from the failed Cole-Bishop amendment has made the manufacturers and vendors more wary than before. Let’s hope that at least some positives do come up in the coming months to support the claim that Donald Trump’s election success is indeed good news for the e-cigarette business.