China’s May Vape Exports Fall 10.3%; January–May Shipments Slip 0.9%

China's May Vape Exports Fall 10.3% YoY; Jan–May Overall Shipments Remain Stable

 

Release Date: June 29, 2026

China's vape exports logged a double-digit year-on-year decline in May 2026, registering the second consecutive month of downward performance, according to the latest China Customs data analyzed by vapefunwholesale. Despite a mild month-on-month rebound from April's low, monthly outbound shipments continued to lag behind last year's level, while cumulative exports for the first five months of 2026 remained largely stable year-on-year.

Key Takeaways

China's vape exports reached US$728 million in May 2026, dropping 10.25% year-on-year.

Cumulative exports from January to May 2026 hit US$4.018 billion, a slight decline of 0.86% compared with the same period in 2025.

May exports rose 5.1% month-on-month from April's US$693 million, yet faced continuous year-on-year shrinkage for two straight months.

Official customs statistics show that China's monthly vape export value stood at US$728 million in May 2026. While posting a moderate 5.1% month-on-month recovery from April's US$693 million, the figure was notably lower than the US$812 million recorded in May 2025, translating to a 10.25% year-on-year drop and marking the second successive month of year-on-year export contraction.

The first five months of 2026 saw volatile fluctuations in China's vape export performance. In January, exports fell 6.17% year-on-year, before staging a sharp rebound of 51.26% in February and a modest 4.48% growth in March. However, the upward trend reversed in the second quarter, with exports tumbling 20.97% year-on-year in April and extending the decline to 10.25% in May.

For the January–May 2026 period, total vape exports amounted to US$4.018 billion, merely US$35 million less than the same period in 2025. Despite the noticeable slowdown in monthly export growth in Q2, the cumulative year-on-year decline is controlled within 1%, demonstrating strong overall stability in China's vape export market.

Looking back at historical customs data, China's vape export volume in the second half of 2025 was significantly higher than that in the first half. As only January–May 2026 data is currently available, the complete trend of China's full-year vape exports will be further clarified with the release of subsequent monthly customs statistics