ASIA
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
India: Cigarette Market
October 2026: India Evaluates Complete Ban on Foreign Tobacco Licensing and Brand Contracts The Indian government is reviewing a proposal to significantly tighten foreign direct investment (FDI) regulations across the tobacco sector by targeting foreign brand licensing, franchising, and technology collaborations. Under India’s current consolidated foreign direct investment policy, direct
Bangladesh: Tobacco Market
October 2026: Navigating Bangladesh’s Shifting Tobacco Market As one of the world’s top 10 cigarette markets by volume, Bangladesh occupies a central position in the global tobacco landscape. Dominated heavily by British American Tobacco (BAT) Bangladesh, the market serves as a primary source of indirect tax revenue for the government.
Southeast Asia: Tobacco Market
Southeast Asia is one of the most populous geographical regions in the World with 675 million population. It is home to Indonesia, world’s largest cigarette market outside China. The Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand also rank within the Top-20 cigarette markets worldwide. Consequently, the Region is of great importance for
Sri Lanka: Tobacco Market
October 2026: Surge in Illicit Trade and Alternative Products Strains Sri Lanka’s Legal Tobacco Market Shifts in Sri Lanka’s combustible tobacco market highlight an ongoing debate between public health tax policy, government fiscal targets, and market enforcement. Rising retail prices on regulated tobacco products have coincided with reduced legal sales
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
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
