Market & legal data of the tobacco alternatives sector in Asia

20th December 2024: Indonesia: The minimum retail price of heated tobacco products (HTPs) and nicotine pouches will increase from 1st January 2025, following the publication of Ministry of Finance regulation 96 of 2024. Minimum retail price will be set at IDR6,240 ($0.39) per g for HTPs and IDR257 ($0.016) per g for nicotine pouches.
20th December 2024: Armenia: According to the Tax Code, the heated tobacco tax rate will increase from AMD3,400 ($8.45) per 1,000 pieces to AMD3,750 ($9.30) per 1,000 pieces as of January 2025.
20th December 2024: Kyrgyzstan: According to the Tax Code, the tax rate for heated tobacco sticks of cylindrical shape will increase from KGS2,500 ($28) per 1,000 pieces to KGS2,750 ($31) per 1,000 pieces as of January 2025. The tax rate for loose tobacco for heating will increase from KGS5,000 ($56) per kg to KGS6,000 ($67) per kg as of January 2025.
16th December 2024: Indonesia: The Ministry of Finance has issued regulation 96 of 2024, to take effect on 1st January 2025, press reports. The regulation sets out the minimum retailing price for tobacco and nicotine products. These will be set at IDR6,240 ($0.39) per g for heated tobacco products and IDR257 ($0.016) per g for nicotine pouches. The government previously decided not to increase excise duties for tobacco or nicotine products, instead opting now to increase the minimum retail price.
16th December 2024: Vietnam: The National Assembly has issued resolution 173/2024/QH15 in which it formally asks the government to ban the production, trading, import, storage, transport and use of electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco from 2025. It asks the government to set the ban's implementation, strengthen enforcement and raise awareness.
13th December 2024: Japan: The government is planning to raise the excise duty on heated tobacco products (HTPs) to the same rate as traditional cigarettes in April 2026, and then raise the tobacco tax for both traditional cigarettes and HTPs by JPY0.5 ($0.0033) per cigarette/stick each year from 2027 to 2029.
12th December 2024: Indonesia: Merrijantij Punguan Pintaria, director of Beverages, Tobacco Products and Refreshment Materials within the Ministry of Industry, said that the draft regulations introducing plain packaging for all tobacco and nicotine products continue to be controversial in the country, press reports. She reiterated that the economic impact of the provisions still needs to be considered before the regulations can be approved.
11th December 2024: Indonesia: Former director of research policy and cooperation at the World Health Organization (WHO) Tikki Pangestu said that, in order to reduce the prevalence of smoking in Indonesia, authorities need to come up with policies that are based on scientific evidence, press reports. Pangestu urges the promotion of alternative tobacco products in order to reduce the number of smokers and the burden of health costs in the country.
11th December 2024: India: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in India has introduced the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Amendment Rules, 2024, increasing visibility of health warnings, in order to further dissuade the public from tobacco consumption. The new health warnings will be effective from 1st June 2025, and their text and pictures have been updated. The images will rotate and each will be valid for 12 months. These amendments also impose additional compliance requirements on manufacturers and distributors, mandating standardised and updated packaging to ensure consistency across all tobacco products.
10th December 2024: Thailand: A parliamentary committee is finalising its report on measures to regulate e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products (HTPs) in an effort to protect youth, following discussions that started in September 2023, press reports. The committee, comprising 35 members from government agencies, academics, medical representatives and stakeholders, has reviewed three policy options: maintaining the ban on e-cigarettes and HTPs with increased enforcement, banning e-cigarettes while regulating HTPs, or regulating both products. The final report will incorporate diverse perspectives, including those of e-cigarette users, to ensure balanced and comprehensive recommendations. The release date of the report is unclear, and e-cigarettes and HTPs remain banned in the country.
9th December 2024: India: Two members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP, the ruling party), Shalini Yadav and Shehzad Poonawala, have called for stricter enforcement of anti-tobacco laws, specifically targeting the use of e-cigarettes, vapes, and heated tobacco products among Indian youth. Yadav, a BJP leader from Uttar Pradesh, highlighted issues surrounding the rising prevalence of these products, praising civil society initiatives like Mothers Against Vaping. Similarly, BJP national spokesperson Poonawala highlighted the need for urgent measures to stop the spread of such products. These statements reflect a strong stance by the incumbent party against novel nicotine devices and underline the ruling party's commitment to enforcing the 2019 vaping ban to safeguard public health.
5th December 2024: China: The State Council Customs Tariff Commission recently issued the Methods for Levying Customs Duties, Value-Added Tax, and Consumption Tax on Imported Goods, effective 1st December 2024. The accompanying Tax-Free Limit Table for Items in Inbound Luggage specifies the tax-free limits for tobacco products: regular travellers are allowed 400 cigarettes (including heated tobacco consumables). Hong Kong or Macau travellers are limited to 200 cigarettes (including heated tobacco consumables). Frequent cross-border travellers (those who enter the country more than once within 15 days) may bring 40 cigarettes (including heated tobacco consumables), limited to once daily.

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