ASIA
India: Smokeless Tobacco Market
September 2026: India’s Tobacco Control Authority Recommends Rejection of Nicotine Pouch Manufacturing Licenses India’s National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) has recommended the rejection of applications for manufacturing and import licenses for oral nicotine pouches, reinforcing New Delhi’s firm policy stance against emerging recreational nicotine products. The recommendation by the health
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
Tobacco Regulation: Asia
September 2026: Taiwan to Launch 431 Anonymous Vape Surrender Sites Ahead of Stricter Crackdown Taiwan’s Health Promotion Administration (HPA) announced that it will establish 431 designated collection sites nationwide starting September 8, 2026, allowing citizens to anonymously turn in illegal e-cigarette devices without penalty. The initiative is part of an
India: Cigarette Market
July 2026: Higher Tobacco Taxes Weigh on Indian Cigarette Makers in Q1 FY27 Results A steep increase in taxes on cigarettes and tobacco products has begun taking a heavy toll on India’s tobacco manufacturing sector. Despite reporting sharp jumps in gross revenue driven by tax pass-through, leading manufacturers – including
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
Bangladesh: Tobacco Market
June 2026: Bangladesh Brings Nicotine Pouches and Heated Tobacco Products Into National Tax Framework Bangladesh has, for the first time, formally brought nicotine pouches and heated tobacco products (HTPs) into its national tax framework. Under the proposed fiscal year 2026-27 budget, Minister of Finance introduced new tariff classifications for nicotine
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
