China to bolster management of e-cigarettes

A visitor checks out an e-cigarette during an exhibition in Shenzhen, Guangdong province.(Photo provided to China Daily)

A national electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) trading management platform will be launched on June 15, according to China's State Tobacco Monopoly Administration.

Establishing a unified e-cigarette trading platform is a key part in regulating the e-cigarette market and promoting an orderly operation of this sector, the administration said on its official website Wednesday.

Since then, all e-cigarette production, wholesale and retail entities who have obtained licenses will begin to trade in this unified platform step by step, the administration added.

E-cigarette use in China is rising sharply and authorities are taking measures to regulate e-cigarettes in terms of product safety and quality.

China's market regulator, the State Administration for Market Regulation, unveiled national standards for e-cigarettes on April 8. The standards, which will go into effect starting on October 1, stipulate that all e-cigarette products must be manufactured in accordance with the national standards.

Last month, the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration issued a regulation that aims to strengthen supervision on e-cigarettes. According to the regulation, the country will implement license management for e-cigarette production, wholesale and retail entities starting from May 1.

Efforts will be made to regulate e-cigarettes in terms of production, transportation, import and export, said the regulation.