ASIA
India: Cigarette Market
November 2026: ITC Raises Cigarette Prices Again in India, Continuing Staggered Pass-Through of February Tax Hike India’s largest cigarette manufacturer, ITC Limited, has reportedly raised the price of its Gold Flake Premium cigarettes by 8%, marking another step in its strategy of gradually passing on the substantial cigarette tax increase
Malaysia: Cigarette & Vape Market
October 2026: BAT Malaysia Q3 Net Profit Drops 67% on Higher Restructuring Costs British American Tobacco (Malaysia) reported a 66.5% drop in net profit to RM2.35 million for the third quarter ended September 30, 2026, down from RM7.0 million in the previous year, driven by higher restructuring expenses of RM9.95
Bangladesh: Tobacco Market
October 2026: BAT Bangladesh Reports a 67% Plunge in Third-Quarter Profit for 2026 A compression in gross revenue (inclusive of Supplementary Duty and VAT) alongside elevated operating overheads weighed heavily on the quarterly performance of British American Tobacco (BAT) Bangladesh. During the third quarter (July-September) of 2026, the company’s net
Indonesia: Tobacco Market
October 2026: Indonesian Health Ministry Proposes Lower Tar and Nicotine Limits for Cigarettes The Indonesian Ministry of Health has proposed stricter regulatory limits on tobacco products, seeking to reduce the maximum allowable tar content to 10 milligrams (mg) from 20 mg per cigarette. In addition to lowering the tar cap,
Sri Lanka: Tobacco Market
October 2026: Sri Lanka Legal Cigarette Market Falls 7.7% Annually Amid Multi-Fold Price Hikes and Rising Illicit Penetration Sri Lanka’s total factory-made cigarette consumption has contracted significantly, dropping from a base of 3.9 billion sticks in 2016 to 2.4 billion in 2025. This overall decline represents a compound annual contraction
Tobacco Regulation: Asia
October 2026: Mongolia Overhauls Tobacco Control Laws After 13 Years, Banning Flavored Products and Regulating Vapes Mongolia’s State Great Khural has officially approved sweeping amendments to the Law on Tobacco Control, marking the first major update to the nation’s smoking regulations in 13 years. The newly passed legislation, slated to
Asia-Pacific: Tobacco & Nicotine Trends
October 2026: Illicit Tobacco Trade Remains Major Challenge in Asia-Pacific The illicit tobacco trade remains a major issue across the Asia-Pacific region, where illicit market penetration significantly exceeds the global average of the mid-teens. A study by the European Union-Association of Southeast Asian Nations (EU-ASEAN) Business Council highlights widespread market
India: Smokeless Tobacco Market
October 2026: Bombay HC Upholds Ban on Duty-Free Nicotine Pouches, Rules Out Immunity from Domestic Laws In a ruling clarifying the reach of Indian regulatory oversight, the Bombay High Court dismissed two writ petitions filed by duty-free operators at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (Mumbai). The decision upholds a ban
China: Tobacco Market
September 2026: Beijing Taps Tobacco Monopoly for ¥260 Billion State Bank Capital Injection Beijing is mobilizing state-owned cigarette monopoly China National Tobacco Corporation alongside the Ministry of Finance to execute a combined ¥260 billion ($38.7 billion) capital injection into two of the nation’s largest state lenders. The move aims to
Pakistan: Tobacco Market
April 2026: Pakistan Tops Global Illicit Cigarette Market Pakistan has emerged as the world’s largest illicit cigarette market, with illegal products accounting for 55% of total consumption – around 44 billion sticks annually. A roughly 80 billion-stick market has remained largely unchanged for over a decade. Repeated tax increases have
China: E-cigarette Market
February 2026: China Freezes Vape Factory Expansion Amid Mounting Overcapacity China’s tobacco regulator ordered e-cigarette manufacturers to halt the construction of new production facilities, signaling a decisive shift from rapid expansion to tighter industrial control. The directive reflects growing concern over excess capacity, intensifying price competition, and financial strain across the
Vietnam: Tobacco Market
January 2026: Vietnam introduces tougher penalties on e-cigarette and heated tobacco use The Vietnamese Government has tightened restrictions on electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products; under the newly issued Decree 371, users of electronic cigarettes or heated tobacco products can now be fined ₫3-5 million ($114-$190), with authorities are also
Tobacco Regulation: China
January 2026: China to End VAT Export Rebates on E-Cigarette Products from April 2026 China will cancel value-added tax (VAT) export rebates on e-cigarette products containing nicotine starting April 1, 2026, marking another tightening of fiscal and regulatory conditions for the country’s large vaping export sector. The decision, jointly issued
Pakistan: Tobacco Market
December 2025: Philip Morris begins the local production of ZYN nicotine pouches Philip Morris International (PMI) began the production of ZYN nicotine pouches at its Sahiwal facility. British American Tobacco (BAT) introduced the nicotine pouch category in Pakistan by launching VELO in 2019 and established a sizeable & fast-growing consumer
Thailand: Tobacco Market
August 2025: Thailand seizes over 4 million e-cigarettes and arrests 3,200 people In a comprehensive crackdown on e-cigarettes, Thailandese authorities seized more than 4 million e-cigarettes and related products worth ฿580 million (US$18 million) in nationwide crackdowns in 2025. Over 3,200 arrests were made in operations targeting the illegal sale
