Market & legal data in the tobacco alternatives sector in North Macedonia

27th March 2024: North Macedonia: Yesterday (26th March), during the government's session, the Ministry of Agriculture was tasked with forming a working group with other ministries, such as the Ministry of Health, and other institutions to examine different regulatory avenues for nicotine pouches. The working group will compare the legislation applicable in neighbouring Balkan countries, as well as other EU countries, and will make proposals for amending the Tobacco Law and the Excise Law in order to include nicotine pouches, which are currently unregulated.
6th March 2024: North Macedonia: The minister of agriculture has submitted an initiative to the government to regulate the manufacture, importation and sale of nicotine pouches, press reports. The minister said a working group will be formed to inform the government of whether the Tobacco Law needs to be amended to include nicotine pouches within its scope. Currently, nicotine pouches do not fall under the scope of tobacco legislation, making them subject to general consumer laws.
8th January 2024: North Macedonia: Pursuant to amendments to the Excise Duty Law approved in October 2023, herbal heated sticks compatible with heated tobacco devices are now subject to tax, as of 1st January 2024, at the same rate as that applicable to heated tobacco products (HTPs). Moreover, the applicable excise duty for HTPs has increased to MKD4,350 (€70.60) per kg of tobacco.
10th October 2023: North Macedonia: Amendments to the Excise Duty Law were published in the Official Gazette last week. As we previously reported, the amendments introduce a tax (the same one currently applicable to heated tobacco products) to herbal heated sticks compatible with heated tobacco devices. Additionally, they propose an annual increase of the tax on heated tobacco products, and so also on heated herbal sticks, of MKD350 (€5.70) per kg of tobacco every 1st January, starting on 1st January 2024 and ending on 1st January 2030 (included). Likewise, an annual increase is also envisaged for chewing tobacco products, but this increase will be MKD150 (€2.45) every 1st January. The new applicable rate to heated tobacco products that will start on 1st January 2024 will be MKD4,350 (€70.60) per kg.
17th August 2023: North Macedonia: A proposal to amend the Excise Law has recently been submitted to the parliament by the Minister of Finance. The bill, currently at its second reading stage, proposes to introduce a tax (the same one currently applicable to heated tobacco products) to herbal heated sticks compatible with heated tobacco devices. Additionally, it proposes an annual increase of the tax on heated tobacco products of MKD350 (€5.68) per kg of tobacco every 1st January, starting on 1st January 2024 and ending on 1st January 2030 (included). The same annual increase is also envisaged for chewing tobacco products, but this increase will be MKD150 (€2.43) every 1st January.
30th June 2023: North Macedonia: The excise duty applicable to heated tobacco products will increase tomorrow (1st July) from MKD3,550 (€57.87) to MKD4,000 (€65.21) per kg of tobacco, pursuant to the annual increase envisaged in the excise duty law.
16th February 2023: North Macedonia: The government yesterday adopted a system for the monitoring and control of tobacco products from production, through distribution to the retail outlet.
1st July 2022: North Macedonia: Today, 1st July 2022, a new excise duty for heated tobacco products and chewing tobacco enters into force as a result of the annual increase every 1st July envisaged in the Excise Law. Therefore, the excise duty applicable to heated tobacco products is now of MKD3,550 (€58) per kg, and the excise duty for chewing tobacco is MKD2,175 (€35) per kg.

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