Are there still markets for fruit-flavored electronic cigarettes?

In the United States, on June 21, 2024, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted authorization to four menthol-flavored electronic cigarettes produced by NJOY, including two cartridges and two disposable electronic cigarettes. As of now, no other brands or international tobacco giants' menthol-flavored electronic cigarettes have been approved. NJOY was acquired by Altria Group (the manufacturer of Marlboro cigarettes) for $2.75 billion in 2023. Currently, there are thousands of fruit and candy-flavored electronic cigarettes available in the US market. These electronic cigarettes are technically illegal but are subject to limited regulation. In Southeast Asian countries, Malaysia, as the third-largest market for Chinese electronic cigarettes, has relatively lenient regulations on flavored electronic cigarettes and allows the sale of fruit-flavored products. The "Public Health Tobacco Product Control Ordinance" implemented in Malaysia since October 1, 2024, clearly implements a whitelist system for electronic cigarettes, but the specific list of allowed fruit flavors has not yet been announced. The whitelist may include traditional flavors such as tobacco and menthol, similar to international regulatory trends such as that of the FDA in the United States; the Ministry of Health of Malaysia emphasizes "limiting flavors that attract teenagers", suggesting that it may prohibit mixed flavors of candies and fruits (such as watermelon, mango, etc.).

In places like Jakarta, Indonesia, electronic cigarette exhibitions (such as Vapefair) have been held to boost market activity. Fruit-flavored products remain the mainstream. Indonesia has not yet banned the sale of fruit-flavored electronic cigarettes nationwide, and the policy environment is relatively lenient, allowing fruits, mint, and other flavors to circulate. In 2023, the Indonesian government included electronic cigarettes in its legislative plan, but as of March 2025, no comprehensive bill to ban fruit-flavored electronic cigarettes has been introduced. The Ministry of Finance of Indonesia issued the "Regulation No. 96 of 2024", which will take effect on January 1, 2025, setting the minimum retail price for electronic cigarettes. Since July 2024, the Philippines has completely suspended the sale of electronic cigarettes on all e-commerce platforms, including fruit-flavored ones. Currently, the Philippines allows the sale of electronic cigarettes in offline stores, but they must meet the following conditions: no sale to minors, and all retailers must strictly verify the age of the purchasers. No specific information has been found regarding fruit-flavored electronic cigarettes in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore, and other Southeast Asian countries. These countries strictly prohibit electronic cigarettes, and there is basically no market. Japan adopts a comprehensive ban + classified control model for nicotine electronic cigarettes. Fruit-flavored products are difficult to legally circulate due to the restriction on nicotine. In South Korea, no specific information has been found. It is understood that South Korea indirectly regulates the market through tax leverage and certification systems. Although fruit-flavored electronic cigarettes are not banned, they face rising costs and compliance pressure. The impact of India's ban or not on everyone is not significant.

In Europe, starting from March 1, 2024, Russia has banned the sale of flavored e-cigarettes. In the UK, a complete ban on the sale of disposable e-cigarettes will come into effect on June 1, 2025, including all flavored types (such as fruit-flavored, sweet-flavored, etc.). Some enterprises have already launched "multi-in-one" or oil injection devices that comply with the new regulations in advance to cope with future restrictions. Belgium will ban disposable e-cigarettes starting from January 1, 2025, becoming the first EU country to implement such a ban. France will completely ban the sale, production, distribution, and possession of disposable e-cigarettes (regardless of whether they contain nicotine) starting from February 25, 2025, covering all pre-filled and non-reusable oil injection products, including non-tobacco flavors such as fruit flavors. Germany allows the sale of e-cigarettes but only restricts advertising. It has not followed up with a complete ban. Its policy focuses on regulating the market rather than prohibiting, which is significantly different from the models of France and Belgium. Among the EU countries, only France and Belgium have explicitly implemented bans. Other member states (such as Italy and Spain) have not mentioned specific measures in the search results. Overall, flavored e-cigarettes currently have a very promising market prospect in Southeast Asia. Southeast Asia has risen to become the third-largest e-cigarette market globally after the United States and Europe. The amount of Chinese e-cigarettes exported to Southeast Asia continues to increase. There are many uncertainties regarding US flavored e-cigarettes. It is unknown whether Trump will have relevant policies in the future. Trump prioritizes economic interests and may not be able to withstand the lobbying of tobacco giants.