Looks like someone else had the idea too.
NY M86437 - The tariff classification of an electronic inhaler from China - United States International Trade Commision Rulings
Nice find! I should have looked around more when I was there

Looks like someone else had the idea too.
NY M86437 - The tariff classification of an electronic inhaler from China - United States International Trade Commision Rulings

What does it mean? I'm not sure what is required for "equivilant".
Another question. If someone wanted to refill their cartridge in 2006, would they have been able to buy 12% nicotine, even if it was unflavored, and do it? Or would they have had to buy 100% and dilute it themselves?
Here's a blog from 2006; 2006 December | e-Cigarettes - Electronic Cigarettes
Here's DIY mentioned in 2007 http://www.e-cigarette-mart.com/cms/why-choose-e-cigarette-in-english-t105
Heavens Gifts was mentioned as a supplier in the first blog (2007). I wonder if they have a record of products from that year.
FDA recommends that you provide evidence that the tobacco product was commercially
marketed in the United States (not in test markets) on February 15, 2007. This
information should demonstrate that the tobacco product was not distributed for test
marketing only. Examples of such information may include, but are not limited to, the
following:
dated copies of advertisements;
dated catalog pages;
dated promotional material;
dated trade publications;
dated manufacturing documents;
dated bills of lading;
dated freight bills;
dated waybills; and/or
complete copies of any supporting information that demonstrate
(individually or collectively) that the tobacco product was commercially
marketed in the United States on February 15, 2007.
9. Question:
Would a cigarette be a "new tobacco product," and subject to the substantial equivalence
provisions, if the cigarette was marketed on February 15, 2007, but subsequently a
specification for an additive was tightened (i.e., narrowed) within the range of the
original specification or the specification for an additive was changed, for example, from
.003 to .005?
Response:
Any modification made to the level of an additive in a product after February 15, 2007
renders the product a new tobacco product, subject to one of the pathways for legal
marketing in the United States
11. Question:
Would a cigarette be a "new tobacco product," and subject to the substantial equivalence
provisions, if the cigarette was marketed on February 15, 2007, but subsequently a
supplier of a component (e.g., the filter) began using a new processing aid (e.g., an
antimicrobial agent) for a sub-component (e.g., paper used for the filter's plug wrap) and
the change is so minor that it is not even capable of being quantified in the finished
product?
Response:
This type of change may have an impact on other characteristics within the tobacco
product (e.g., may alter chemical reactions and create a new ingredient, additive, or
constituent). Therefore this change fits the definition of a modification under section
910(a)(1)(B) of the FD&C Act and renders the product a new tobacco product.
<snip>
I've been watching this effort w/ some interest, hoping against hope ...
Not to be too picky about it, but the "on Feb 15 '07" language means "as of" ... i.e. it was still on the market.
It's also worth noting that the FDA is not exclusively in charge of the standards of proof here.
For ex., if they demanded an original bill of sale printed on purple paper, they would presumably be exceeding their scope of authority under the statute.
As a ray of hope, they do state that genetically modified food crops are "substantial equivalent" to their non-genetically engineered counterparts.
Me too - I hope something can be found.
And I don't think we can dismiss the picky part of the date. They clearly state that proof must be dated. So, if one could only find an invoice of sale dated 12/20/06, I could easily see them saying, but how do we know they were still in business 2 months later? I clearly interpret their word 'on' or even 'as of' to mean "Show us that it bridged the before/after date of 2/15/07.", and that you could not compare to a product that was sold in 2005 and went out of business before 2/15/07.
While I hope we will be able to have access to nicotine base as a "predicate product", I don't hold out much hope. From all I've read, the FDA's definition of "substantial equivalent" tobacco products is what most people would say is "demonstrably identical".
As a ray of hope, they do state that genetically modified food crops are "substantial equivalent" to their non-genetically engineered counterparts.

It appears Ruyan was commercially imported into the US starting in 2006. Would it make sense for Njoy to file for SE? The products were pretty bad then. Commercials from 2008 show them bigger than a cigar. I'm not so sure this would be of much use other than for the nic (RY4).
The FDA did those tests back in 2009 showing harmful chemicals in a couple. Would that also need to be duplicated (sounds like a yes IMO)?
It appears people were "dripping" but it seems they were ordering from Chinese websites - those sites were in english and USD - is that enough to satisfy the definition of commercially marketed?
I thought the Feb 2007 date was based on the day that an agreement was reached. Obviously upon signing in 2009 would have been a better date. Ecigs is the only category that would be changed by using a later date - one of the reasons this sounds so discriminatory to me.
Just the fact the FDA says it's unlikely ecigs will find a SE product, over and over, leans me towards the possibilty it's out there and we can find it. That's just the way they do it. "Science based" = science not required, down is up, etc.

I'm fairly certain nic base will be passed. However, I do believe it will be the first thing taxed and taxed big------by the mg I'm sure.

Interesting, FDA doesn't have taxing power, but there's already legislation to tax tobacco products. Now the FDA makes eliquid a tobacco product, but there's no equivalency or levels to tax eliquid. In a nutshell, one big mess....
What a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to decive
Absolutely. But this is the first stepping stone to tax them, and heavily. How hard would it be to impose a tax per mg of nic liquid? I'm sure they'll figure a way to ensure they get their piece of the pie...
I'm curious about something. We know there's a nicotine inhalor already on the market in the Pharmaceutical industry. I know its separate than tobacco, but that would still mean nicotine was approved as a liquid to be inhaled in a PG base. I know it needs a prescription, but... I wonder if there's a way to correlate it??? Surely there were studies done prior to this device being approved. So I'm wondering, could those studies/tests be used to bring nicotine base to the market much cheaper...it would save thousands of dollars in testing/studies.
1) Nic inhalers are a totallly different technology - they don't use heat. And remember the entire product has to be on the market pre-'07. No "cutting and pasting" as it were. Besides nic inhalers are on the market as medical devices, not tobacco products.
2) Taxing is usually done in the vaping context by wholesale price %. At least that's how it's been proposed in the states that are looking at it (VT, NJ, OH who else?) and MN which already does it (?).
3) NJOY's e-liquid wouldn't do us any good anyway since they're already going to do an application for their own cigAlikes. I was hoping for someone else's e-liquid, i.e. something sold separately to vapers. Guess that one's a bust.
So-o is this the end of this thread/quest/idea![]()