Australia Disposable Import Ban Leads to 93% Decline in Chinese Exports, While New Zealand Takes over

On March 28th, according to data released by the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China, in January 2024, China's exports of e-cigarettes to Australia amounted to $3.17 million, a month-on-month decrease of 93.93% and a year-on-year decrease of 86.46%; the export volume was 55 tons, a month-on-month decrease of 95.42% and a year-on-year decrease of 86.97%.

In February, the total exports amounted to $2.56 million, a decrease of 19.23% compared to the previous month and a decrease of 86.27% compared to the same period last year. The export volume was 49 tons, a decrease of 11.49% compared to the previous month and a decrease of 85.12% compared to the same period last year.

Australia has a population of approximately 26 million people. According to data released by the Australian Department of Health, over 3.5 million residents aged 14 and above use either cigarettes or e-cigarettes, representing about 13.5% of the total population.

Currently, China's exports of e-cigarettes to Australia are less than $3 million, with a volume of less than 500,000 tons.

The root cause of this situation is that as of January 2024, Australia has officially implemented a policy banning the importation of disposable e-cigarettes. The policy stipulates that e-cigarette users in Australia must purchase e-cigarettes with a prescription (excluding disposable e-cigarettes).

Despite previous policies prohibiting the import of disposable e-cigarettes in Australia, the disposable e-cigarette market in the country has continued to thrive due to lax border enforcement. However, this time is different. The increase in exports of disposable e-cigarettes from China to Australia indicates stricter regulations on disposable e-cigarette imports in the country.

At the same time, a company specializing in e-cigarette logistics also revealed to 2FIRSTS that Australia currently has very strict inspections on e-cigarette logistics. Although some people claim to be able to bypass inspections through "double clearance" methods, they still face huge risks, much like walking a tightrope.

However, it is worth noting that while China's exports of e-cigarettes to Australia have drastically declined, its exports to neighboring New Zealand have been increasing.

In January 2024, China's export volume of e-cigarettes to New Zealand was 194 tons, an increase of 33.53% compared to the previous month and a 5.22% increase year-on-year. In February, the export volume was 152 tons, a decrease of 21.92% compared to the previous month but a 64.98% increase year-on-year.

According to the data, aside from a slight decrease in exports during the Chinese New Year period in February, all other data from New Zealand has been increasing.

This is also related to Australian policies. In Australia, there is a method for legally purchasing e-cigarettes called the "personal importation scheme". According to 2FIRSTS, this method also requires a prescription. After obtaining a prescription, consumers can purchase e-cigarettes on official websites outside of Australia, and sellers will then mail the products to the consumers. Most consumers who purchase e-cigarettes using this method buy them from e-cigarette online stores in New Zealand.

Despite Australia's regulations starting from March 1st, which prohibit the importation of e-cigarettes without a permit held by the importer, distributors and manufacturers of prescription e-cigarettes must also notify the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in Australia of their products meeting standards. However, distributors in New Zealand have openly stated that they will not cease shipping to Australia.

Therefore, this explains the increase in the importation of e-cigarettes in New Zealand following the ban on disposable e-cigarettes in Australia.