June 26 (Reuters) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration proposed a rule on Friday that would require foreign tobacco product makers to register their facilities and list products sold in the country.
The agency said the move would help it crack down on illegal imports, including e-cigarettes popular with the youth.
Here are some details:
• The rule would apply to both foreign and domestic companies that manufacture, prepare or process tobacco products.
• U.S. manufacturers like Philip Morris International are already required under federal law to register their facilities and list their products with the FDA, but foreign manufacturers are not subject to those requirements currently.
• The proposal could close this loophole and affect major global tobacco companies including British American Tobacco, Japan Tobacco, Imperial Brands as well as smaller overseas e-cigarette manufacturers whose products are shipped into the United States.
• The health regulator said this would give better information about tobacco products made abroad for the U.S. market and allow it to conduct more effective inspections of foreign facilities.
• “All companies selling tobacco products in the United States should play by the same rules,” Bret Koplow, acting director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products, said in a statement.
• If implemented, the rule would require manufacturers to provide identifying details for each tobacco product, including nicotine concentration, nicotine source, flavors, package types and product dimensions.
• For e-cigarettes, companies would also have to provide information such as e-liquid volume, battery capacity and wattage.
• Manufacturers would need to submit information electronically through the FDA’s online system and update facility registrations each year and product listings twice a year.
(Reporting by Padmanabhan Ananthan in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika Syamnath)
