The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued a warning to Fifty Bar, a disposable e-cigarette company that markets its products with "MAGA" branding and claims of being "built in the USA." The FTC is investigating whether the company has violated false or misleading labeling laws by allegedly sourcing toxic chemicals and components from China.
The warning letter, sent shortly after the Fourth of July, states that FTC staff has reason to believe Lucky Bar, the parent company of Fifty Bar, may be importing its products in whole or significant part, despite unqualified U.S. origin claims. The company operates an assembly facility in Southern California.
Fifty Bar's owner, Brady Bates, has previously acknowledged that the company's parts are sourced from China, even promoting a slogan of "Making Vaping American Again." In addition to the labeling concerns, Fifty Bar's products have been found on state registries containing nixodine, a Chinese-manufactured chemical designed to evade U.S. regulations. This has raised alarms about the potential harm from such imports.
Richard Marianos, a senior law enforcement consultant and former agent with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, stated that the Trump administration should crack down on companies like Fifty Bar that use nixodine. He added that the administration needs to close loopholes exploited by such companies.
Former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary previously expressed concern in a Senate confirmation hearing last year about U.S. markets being "flooded" with unlawful Chinese vapes. He noted that these products are often banned in China but manufactured and exported to the United States, leaving consumers unaware of their contents.