On June 15th, the official website of the State Tobacco Monopoly Bureau announced that the national unified e-cigarette trading management platform was officially launched. E-cigarettes implement "one thing and one yard", and e-cigarette enterprises that have not obtained the license will not be allowed to trade through the e-cigarette trading platform. At the same time, the new version of the "Measures for the Administration of Electronic Cigarettes" removes the requirement that enterprises exporting electronic cigarettes need to obtain the license of tobacco monopoly production enterprises.
According to the Blue Book of E-cigarette Industry Export in 222 (hereinafter referred to as the Blue Book), there are currently more than 1,5 e-cigarette manufacturing and brand enterprises in China, of which more than 7% mainly export their products overseas. It is estimated that the total export of e-cigarettes will reach 186.7 billion RMB in 222, with an estimated growth rate of 35%.
After the "Thousand Cigarettes War", there is a saying in the e-cigarette industry: "More than 95% of the global e-cigarette production and products come from China, 7% from Shenzhen in China, and more than 95% from Baoan in Shenzhen". China is gradually changing from the world's largest manufacturer of e-cigarettes to the world's largest exporter of e-cigarettes brands.
"Shenzhen has become the core because of its strong IT manufacturing industry, which provides strong technical support for the innovation and upgrading of e-cigarette products." Guo Xiaoyu, co-founder of Shenzhen Shuangzhishang Technology Co., Ltd., said, "E-cigarettes have a strong' innovation' attribute, and the product replacement rate remains within 3-6 months. Looking at the global market, only Shenzhen can achieve this rapid innovation. "
1
Let's go and sell e-cigarettes overseas!
On July 2nd, Lin Yu was busy preparing materials in his office. As a "recruit" who has only entered the e-cigarette industry for less than a year, he is now planning to lead his team to Southeast Asia.
Lin Yu knows that this decision means that he will start from scratch in a strange market. However, he said, "Compared with the increasingly strict domestic market, there is undoubtedly more room for overseas markets."
in p>219, the domestic e-cigarette industry broke out rapidly, which once set off a "thousand cigarettes war". However, with the new regulatory requirements such as "manufacturers are not allowed to produce' fruit-flavored' cigarettes" and "one cigarette and one identity", the industry began to develop in compliance.
Beijing News Shell Finance reporter learned that compared with the domestic market, the overseas market has a broader prospect in terms of user scale and future prospects. According to the report of "Blue Book of E-cigarette Industry Export in 222", the global e-cigarette market will exceed US$ 18 billion in 222. It is estimated that the overseas e-cigarette market will maintain a growth rate of 35% in 222, and the total scale will exceed US$ 1 billion.
Lin Yu will make its first overseas trip in Southeast Asia. Unlike the China market, some countries in Southeast Asia are open to e-cigarettes and even allow them to be sold online. According to the data of Euromonitor, a consumer market research organization, it is estimated that the total market of electronic atomization in Southeast Asia will reach 766 million US dollars in 223, or about 5.1 billion RMB.
After a year of preparation and trial, Zhang lei has now gained a firm foothold in the Southeast Asian market, and its e-cigarette brand has gradually opened up.
according to the data in the blue book, the export scale of e-cigarettes in China reached 138.3 billion RMB in 221, up by 18% year-on-year. It is estimated that the total export of e-cigarettes will reach 186.7 billion RMB in 222, with a growth rate of 35%.
"Before, some e-cigarette companies went into a misunderstanding and felt that going to sea was the road they were forced to choose under the condition of' no way out'." An e-cigarette practitioner told the reporter, "In fact, the overseas market is as important as the domestic market and should be the core direction of the development of every e-cigarette company."
"Now head companies such as Yueke and MOTI Magic Flute are also beginning to bet on overseas markets." Zhang lei said. The reporter checked the public information and found that Yueke tried overseas exploration as early as 219. After its establishment in 221, Yueke International, which is responsible for overseas business, has accumulated millions of consumers in more than 4 countries around the world.
Another brand, MOTI Magic Flute, now covers 35 countries and regions around the world, with more than 1, outlets all over the world, and even established an independent platform for industry head e-commerce in North America.
"Many manufacturers have gone to sea, which will inevitably intensify the competition in overseas markets." Lin Yu said, "Although the future prospects are unknown, this is the most important choice for e-cigarette manufacturers."
2
Why Shenzhen?
customers can get the proofing products in two hours if they have new ideas.
In Lin Yu's notebook, there is a map of the world marked with symbols, on which a long line is drawn in black: Shenzhen-Southeast Asia-Europe and America. This is the "map to the sea" he set for himself. Although he has just entered the first stop, he is full of confidence: "Try to finish this line in five years."
Lin Yu's reliance stems from the fact that its partner is a factory located in Baoan District, Shenzhen.
Beijing News Shell Finance reporter learned that at present, there are more than 1,5 e-cigarette manufacturing and brand enterprises in China, and nearly 1, e-cigarette supply chain and peripheral service enterprises have formed a complete e-cigarette industry cluster. Most of them are gathered in Baoan, Shenzhen.
The origin of Shenzhen and e-cigarettes can be traced back to 24. At that time, the first domestic electronic cigarette "Ruyan" came out, which not only quickly became popular in the domestic market, but also attracted many consumers around the world. Influenced by the success of "Ruyan", a large number of e-cigarette factories have sprung up in Zhejiang and Shenzhen, and in the following ten years, Shenzhen has gradually become the core e-cigarette production cluster in China and even in the world.
COO Guo Xiaoyu, co-founder of Shenzhen Two Supreme Technology Co., Ltd., told the reporter that after years of development, Shenzhen Baoan not only has a number of e-cigarette enterprises, but also brings together supporting enterprises including industrial design, molds, batteries, etc. "There is an e-cigarette' two-hour traffic circle', and the whole industrial chain cooperates closely. Even when generate comes up with new ideas in the communication between manufacturers and customers, it may take less than two hours to get the proofing products. "
According to official data, there are 55 e-cigarette enterprises above designated size in Baoan District in 221, among which there are many well-known enterprises such as Maxwell and Wuxin Technology, with an output value of 35.6 billion yuan. In 222, the number of enterprises has increased to 77, and the output value is expected to further increase.
Lu Jixian, deputy director of the Investment Promotion Department of Baoan District, Shenzhen, has publicly stated that Baoan will strive to build a 1 billion-level e-cigarette industry cluster, and will build a global atomization technology center in the future, constantly expanding the application boundary of e-cigarette technology for atomization treatment, beauty and other fields, and continuously expanding overseas markets.
in July p>22, Lin Yu came to Baoan district for the first time. Previously, he had represented a domestic brand of e-cigarettes. Influenced by the market outbreak, Lin Yu decided to form a team to build his own brand of e-cigarettes.
"After asking around, I found that the most concentrated area of e-cigarette industry is here." Lin Yu told reporters that although Foshan, Dongguan and other places also have electronic cigarette manufacturing factories, they are far less concentrated than Shenzhen Baoan. He was amazed by the high-end production equipment and complete supporting items of the local e-cigarette manufacturing factory. "There are everything from cigarette sticks, cigarette oil, batteries to cigarettes. Just provide the brand and LOGO to each other, and you can produce beautiful e-cigarettes. "
Soon, Lin Yu reached a cooperation with a foundry, in which he was responsible for designing the brand and sales channels, and the other party was responsible for producing e-cigarettes.
When seeing the samples designed by the other party according to his requirements, Lin Yu's confidence in the export road increased greatly. "It is much better than expected, and it can be upgraded and iterated with the needs of players and markets in the later period. I believe it will be welcomed in overseas markets."
3
An accident: the road to export was opened,
The logistics bottleneck was hard to stop the enthusiasm for going to sea
It was an accident that domestic e-cigarettes entered overseas markets.
A senior insider in Shenzhen told the reporter that many years ago, a China student studying in Turkey brought an e-cigarette back to Turkey. This new product quickly aroused local people's curiosity and asked about the purchase channels.
As the country with the highest smoking rate in the world, e-cigarettes quickly triggered a buying craze in Turkey, and even flowed into the European market through Turkey. For a time, not only a large number of international students rushed to Shenzhen electronic cigarette factory with backpacks to bring goods, but also attracted many overseas dealers to Shenzhen for procurement.
"There are two reasons behind the popularity of e-cigarettes in Europe and America. First, the price is lower than that of traditional cigarettes, and second, foreign markets are more tolerant of e-cigarettes. " Guo Xiaoyu told reporters that.
but the way out is not easy.
the first thing to be solved is the logistics problem. In the past, 4% of the e-cigarettes exported from Shenzhen were shipped from Shenzhen to Hong Kong and then sent to the world. However, before Hong Kong announced that "it is illegal to sell, manufacture, import or promote electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products in Hong Kong from April 3", manufacturers had to look for export routes again.
The reporter learned that recently, Shenzhen Airport said that together with china electronic chamber of commerce Electronic Cigarette Professional Committee and other relevant parties, it has studied and issued the white list enterprise identification standard for electronic atomization products and the differentiated security inspection operation guidelines for air export, aiming at the bottleneck existing in the domestic electronic cigarette air transportation chain, and plans to make Shenzhen Airport a global electronic cigarette transshipment center in the future.
when products reach overseas markets, manufacturers also need to face the challenges of different policies and consumer trends in overseas markets.
Take e-cigarette bombs as an example. Many popular tastes in China are not popular overseas. The requirements for nicotine content vary from country to country. The content of nicotine in the United States is not more than 3%, while that in Britain is not more than 2%, which requires manufacturers to take corresponding measures and research and development according to local conditions.
"Before going out to sea, you must also know the local control degree of e-cigarettes to avoid unnecessary losses." Zhang lei told reporters that the global regulatory policies on e-cigarettes are different now. Both the United States and the European Union adopt a federal approach to the regulation of e-cigarettes. In Southeast Asia and the Middle East, although the market is relatively loose, some countries tend to ban e-cigarettes.
The above problems cannot hinder the export enthusiasm of China manufacturers. According to the Blue Book, the export of e-cigarettes in 221 increased by 18% compared with 22. It is estimated that the export volume will reach 186.7 billion yuan in 222, a year-on-year increase of 35%.
4
The competition between patents and standards surfaced,
Not all of them are profitable
On June 23rd, a news from overseas quickly set off the domestic electronic smoke circle: the global e-cigarette giant JUUL was officially issued a listing rejection order by the US Food and Drug Administration.
"This is undoubtedly good news for domestic e-cigarette exporters." On July 8, an e-cigarette practitioner told the Beijing News Shell Finance reporter, "If JUUL really withdraws from the market, it means that other brands will gain greater market share, and many of them from China will also benefit from it."
according to the analysis report of Zheshang Securities, JUUL withdrew or provided 52% order flexibility for its main competitor, Simor International, and many international e-cigarette brands that cooperated with it are now accelerating to seize the American market.
The reporter learned that as the largest single market in the world, the US e-cigarette market will account for more than 55% of the total overseas global market in 221. In the first quarter of 221 alone, the US market accounted for 58% of China's e-cigarette exports, with an export value of about 73.3 billion yuan. For e-cigarette practitioners, such a huge market cannot be missed.
"Nowadays, almost all brands and manufacturers have begun to make efforts in overseas markets." Wang Min, who runs an e-cigarette foundry in Shenzhen, told reporters that his factory has been busy doing OEM production for many brands in recent days. She found that almost all the sales directions of the other party were concentrated in overseas fields.
Earlier, it was reported by the media that many electronic cigarette factories specializing in foreign trade in Shenzhen were recruiting people. Many factories urgently recruit 1-day short-term workers in order to catch up with orders, with additional manpower to make e-cigarettes and work overtime during the New Year holiday.
"E-cigarettes have a strong' innovative' attribute, and the product replacement rate is kept within 3-6 months. Looking at the global market, only Shenzhen can achieve this rapid innovation. " Guo Xiaoyu said.
In addition to the rapid iterative innovation of technology, more and more e-cigarette manufacturers are gradually moving towards high technology and starting to care about patents.
According to the Research Report on Market Operation Situation and Development Strategy of China E-cigarette Industry from 222 to 228 released by Zhiyan Consulting, the number of e-cigarette patent applications in China in 221 was 5,937, up 41.9% year-on-year. Among them, the number of main application areas in Guangdong Province reached 21,646, accounting for 69.2% of the total patent applications.
According to the Blue Book, e-cigarette patent applications have emerged in recent three years. In the past three years, the number of patent applications has exceeded 5, each year. Since the fourth quarter of 221, the number of patent applications has increased every month. It is estimated that the total number of patent applications will exceed 7 in 222.
not the blue ocean market is completely risk-free. "A few years ago, many e-cigarette brands moved to overseas markets, but not everyone can succeed." Wang Min told reporters that there are many losers among the manufacturers who went to sea. "I often hear that who went to sea again and who failed again. Such stories abound in the circle. "
The reporter learned that the e-cigarette enterprises going out to sea now have a faint trend of two levels of differentiation. Because of stricter production standards and better quality, head enterprises can easily enter the new white list of Shenzhen Airport when exporting, and are also highly praised by players in overseas markets. However, it is relatively difficult for small and medium-sized enterprises to go out to sea, and even the result of leaving in a daze is not ruled out.
"going out to sea is more like a gamble. Need to adapt to different regulatory policies, cultural differences, consumer habits and other issues. Once the decision is wrong, the final result can only end in failure. " Wang Min said.
Ling Xiaolu, Executive Commissioner of Shenzhen Baoan District Government, expressed the hope that the e-cigarette industry will continuously expand overseas markets, occupy more overseas market shares, occupy the upstream position of the global industrial chain, and take the lead in setting standards for the global electronic atomization industry.