By Timothy S. Donahue

Top Takeaways:

• Market shift: “Made in USA” vape branding rises as enforcement targets Chinese imports.
• Regulatory reality: Many of these products remain unauthorized despite domestic positioning.
• Product example: DOJO debuts “Built in the USA” 60K-puff device at TPE, highlighting the trend.

The label is changing—even if its regulatory status isn’t. A growing number of vape brands are leaning into “Made in America” positioning as U.S. authorities intensify enforcement against unauthorized imports, particularly from China, which has long dominated global vape manufacturing.

The shift comes as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other agencies intensify pressure on unlicensed disposable vape brands, many of which have entered the U.S. market without premarket authorization.

Despite the rebranding pivot, the underlying issue remains. The U.S. vape market—estimated at roughly $12 billion in 2024 by British American Tobacco—is still largely supplied by products manufactured in China and distributed through channels that often circumvent regulatory approval.

Since late 2025, at least eight new brands emphasizing American identity have entered the market, according to Reuters reporting. Many of those brands lack FDA authorization, and some maintain ties to Chinese or Hong Kong-based companies despite their U.S.-focused marketing.

Analysts say the strategy is deliberate. Pallav Mittal of Barclays said companies may be attempting to avoid scrutiny at the border by distancing themselves from Chinese origins.

“If the illegal players have found another way to stay in the U.S. market… then this shift from illegal to legal will probably slow down,” Mittal said.

The FDA has made its position clear: unauthorized vape products are illegal, regardless of where they are manufactured. Still, the market is adapting—and quickly.

That trend was evident at Total Product Expo (TPE) 2026, where e-cigarette brand DOJO introduced the PUREX 60K, a high-capacity disposable device marketed as “BUILT IN THE USA.”

The device, now listed on the company’s website and online sales channels, features a 1,000mAh battery, a 16ml e-liquid capacity, and a claimed output of up to 60,000 puffs. It offers a 50mg/ml nicotine strength and includes ECO and SMART output modes.

DOJO is also emphasizing design differentiation, with the PUREX 60K incorporating a “separated e-liquid storage structure” to improve flavor consistency over time by isolating the e-liquid from the atomization system until activation.

The product comes in 12 flavors spanning fruit, mint, and tobacco profiles—categories that continue to face heightened regulatory scrutiny in the U.S. The branding is the headline. Whether that positioning reflects actual manufacturing changes—or merely a new marketing layer—remains unclear.