The United States is currently experiencing a significant shortage of popular vaping products, particularly the Chinese-manufactured Geek Bar, due to a combination of high tariffs on Chinese imports and an intensified regulatory crackdown on unauthorized e-cigarettes.
The shortage has been triggered by newly imposed tariffs under the Trump administration’s trade policies, which have disrupted the supply chain of vaping devices entering the US from China. In April, the tariff rate for Chinese vapes soared to 145%, before being adjusted to the current 30%.
This drastic increase has significantly impacted the flow of products into the country. In May 2025 alone, US customs recorded only 71 shipments of e-cigarettes or vape products from China—a dramatic decline from the nearly 1,200 shipments received during the same period in 2024.
Adding to the disruption is a sweeping federal enforcement effort targeting illegal and unauthorized vaping products. In a coordinated operation this January, federal authorities seized over 628,000 e-cigarette products, including many units from the widely popular Geek Bar brand. The seized products were valued at over $7 million. According to customs officials, many of these shipments had been mislabeled or deliberately undervalued to avoid detection and the hefty tariffs. The crackdown is part of the US Food and Drug Administration’s broader initiative to regulate the growing and largely unregulated vape market, especially products that have not received the agency’s approval.
Retailers across the country are feeling the pressure. Vape shop owners report that their weekly supplies have dropped sharply, in some cases from 100 boxes to merely 10. Suppliers have started limiting how much product each retailer can buy, citing both a hike in prices due to the new tariffs and a scarcity of available stock. Despite the supply challenges, demand for these products remains strong. British American Tobacco’s US subsidiary noted that the high-profit margins for companies selling unauthorized vapes allow them to absorb some of the tariff impact. Moreover, consumers hooked on nicotine tend to keep purchasing their preferred products, even at higher prices, sustaining demand even during shortages.
In response to the mounting trade and regulatory barriers, some manufacturers are beginning to shift production to countries like Indonesia to bypass US tariffs and sustain their global supply chains. This strategy aims to maintain availability while reducing dependency on Chinese exports. According to analysts, unauthorized vape brands like Geek Bar dominated roughly 70% of the US vape market in 2024, surpassing legally regulated products from established companies such as Altria and British American Tobacco. As the FDA continues to strengthen its enforcement, and as tariffs remain a contentious policy issue, the future of the US vape market appears uncertain. Both consumers and retailers are caught in a tense balancing act between rising prices, falling availability, and a tightening regulatory grip.
