Market & legal data of the tobacco alternatives sector in Asia

20th January 2025: Philippines: A group of House leaders has proposed a bill to temporarily suspend the annual increase of 5% in tobacco excise taxes for one year, media reports. This measure seeks to combat the growing illicit tobacco trade and its negative impact on tax revenues. Additionally, the bill addresses issues with mislabelled vaping products that exploit tax regulations by proposing a unified tax rate for all vaping products to ensure accurate tax collection. The Department of Finance (DOF) has announced its support for the proposed suspension of annual increases in tobacco excise taxes, which have led to a surge in illegal trade and a drop in revenue collection.
17th January 2025: Indonesia: The Ministry of Health has said that the draft regulations potentially introducing plain packaging for all tobacco and nicotine products are still being finalised, press reports. The regulations initially envisaged plain packaging but, after some pushback from stakeholders, the government is reconsidering the provisions set out in the draft bill.
16th January 2025: Thailand: On 26th December 2024, the chairman of Thailand’s Special Committee on E-Cigarette Control, presented a comprehensive report to the Thai parliament following a 15-month review. The report proposes underpinning the ban on all e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products (HTPs), including banning the import and possession of these products. The parliament is not required to vote on the report, but its view may guide future Cabinet action. Despite the ban proposal, yesterday (15th January) the Dental Network Against Tobacco Dangers raised concerns over the tobacco industry’s interference in the works of the special committee, as several of its members are accused of having ties to the industry.
15th January 2025: India: The Delhi High Court has refused to hear a public interest litigation (PIL) that seeks to ban the sale of tobacco products near temples. The court reasoned that the relevant authorities, and not the court itself, hold the legal authority under existing laws, such as the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, to impose new restrictions on the public use and sale of tobacco products.
15th January 2025: Saudi Arabia: The Ministry of Municipalities and Housing has launched a public consultation, running until 28th January, on additional requirements for tobacco shops. The proposal aims to introduce new licensing requirements, architectural restrictions for the premises, security measures, product display limitations, and facility maintenance standards.
14th January 2025: Philippines: The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has reminded importers and manufacturers of vaping products and heated tobacco products (HTPs) to register for the Philippine Standard (PS) License. Only duly registered products are allowed to be sold and advertised. Non-compliance with the requirements would result in formal charges.
14th January 2025: Bangladesh: The government has announced a tax hike on several goods, including raw tobacco, to increase the national revenue collection. The National Board of Revenue (NRB) said taxes will also increase on all types of cigarettes. The increases will likely impact novel tobacco products too, considering the negative stance the government has towards these products.
14th January 2025: Pakistan: Over the past decade, the country has lost over PKR567bn ($2bn) in tax revenue due to tobacco smuggling and illegal cigarette manufacturing. The figures were presented in a meeting chaired jointly by federal minister of state Ali Pervaiz Malik and finance adviser to the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province Muzammil Aslam. Possible solutions discussed included the expansion of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR)’s Track and Trace System (TTS) to all cigarette manufacturing units, alongside stricter enforcement measures to curtail the spread of untaxed products. These solutions could potentially be extended to novel tobacco products, in an effort to compensate for the revenue losses.
13th January 2025: Philippines: The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has confirmed a decrease in excise tax collection from 2021 to 2024 that led to a drop of more than 20% in revenue from excisable products over the period, media reports. The BIR confirmed the loss of tax revenue during a Senate hearing on the smuggling and illicit trade of these products, in which the panel focused on tobacco products, heated tobacco products, vapour products, cigars, and cigarettes.
10th January 2025: Kazakhstan: The minimum retail price for 20 pieces of heated tobacco increased from KZT820 ($1.56) to KZT870 ($1.65) as of 1st January 2025.
9th January 2025: Uzbekistan: The Tax Code was changed at the end of December 2024 to increase an excise tax for “nicotine-containing liquids (in cartridges, reservoirs and other containers for use in e-cigarettes)” imported or manufactured locally from UZS670 ($0.052) per ml to UZS2,000 ($0.15) per ml. The tax rate for “heated tobacco stick, heated tobacco capsule and other tobacco-containing products with a similar principle of use” imported or manufactured locally was increased from UZS382,000 ($30) per kg to UZS450,000 ($35) per kg. Devices are not listed as excisable goods.
9th January 2025: Uzbekistan: At a meeting of the lower chamber of the parliament, health minister Asilbek Khudayarov announced that a bill aimed at banning the distribution of vaping products, which was adopted in its first reading on 7th January, will not affect tobacco heating systems, media reports.

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