Asia: Market and regulatory data analysis of the vaping sector

BAT launches Glo and Dunhill Neostiks on the South Korean HnB market

Written by Freddie Dawson | 17th August 2017

British American Tobacco (BAT) has launched its Glo device in South Korea, joining Philip Morris International (PMI)'s iQOS in what could be a lively market for heated tobacco products ...

New senate proposal could finally see e-cigs regulated in the Philippines

Written by Freddie Dawson | 17th August 2017

A new proposal for regulating e-cigarettes in the Philippines has been put forward by a political heavy-hitter in the country’s senate ...

Underground or online, the Indian vaping market is slowly growing

Written by ECigIntelligence | 11th July 2017

Unclear regulation means most e-cigarette sales in India are conducted in a grey area, either through discreet physical stores or – more frequently – in a still small but growing online market ...

Korean tobacco giant prepares to enter competitive HnB market

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 5th July 2017

South Korea’s largest tobacco manufacturer, KT&G, is to start selling a new heat-not-burn (HnB) product, in direct competition with PMI’s iQOS and BAT’s Glo...

How safe is that battery? The industry’s secrets unwrapped

Written by ECigIntelligence | 27th June 2017

Battery safety continues to be an issue for the e-cigarette industry – particularly from an image perspective – but ensuring the best possible component for an e-cig is not as straightforward as it might first...

Singapore plans to close a loophole and ban e-cigarettes completely

Written by Freddie Dawson | 21st June 2017

Adding to existing restrictions, a new proposal to prohibit imports, possession and use seems likely to be passed by Singaporean...

New studies examine HnB’s nicotine delivery and consumer reactions

Written by Marc Beishon | 21st June 2017

New research shines a little light on how Japanese consumers are reacting to iQOS, and how HnB products compare with both combustibles and e-cigarettes on the crucial question of nicotine...

Georgia legislates to ban smoking or vaping in public places

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 9th June 2017

The former Soviet republics of Georgia and its neighbour Armenia are to impose new regulations on...

Philippines smoking ban doesn’t apply to e-cigs – but rules are coming

Written by ECigIntelligence | 24th May 2017

A new ban on public smoking in the Philippines will not include e-cigarettes – contrary to initial reports. Moves remain ongoing, however, to bring some regulation to a currently all but unregulated...

UK government asks how it should define HnB for tax purposes

Written by Freddie Dawson | 23rd May 2017

As heated tobacco products pose new questions for regulators, the UK government is holding a public consultation on potential tax...

Some Japanese quit with e-cigs, but most prefer willpower

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 16th May 2017

E-cigarettes are more popular than they are successful as smoking cessation aids in Japan, according to a recent study which suggests they should therefore “not be recommended or...

Convicted Indian e-cig seller could wait years for appeal to be heard

Written by ECigIntelligence | 8th May 2017

An Indian man convicted of selling e-cigarettes is out on bail awaiting an appeal and using that time to get on with his...

Proposed Taiwanese e-cigarette ban faces international criticism

Written by ECigIntelligence | 23rd March 2017

Taiwan's proposed e-cigarette ban has been severely criticised by international legal experts on grounds of both public health and freedom of trade....

Taiwan proposes total e-cigarette ban, despite hopes of lenient regime

Written by Freddie Dawson | 10th March 2017

Taiwan is proposing a full ban on e-cigarettes, but intervention by the World Trade Organization could interfere with that plan....

Bulgaria responds to the freedom to vape where smoking’s banned

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 27th February 2017

Bulgarians have taken up vaping enthusiastically - and their chief reason for doing so is the freedom to vape indoors and in public places where smoking is...

Asia Pacific warms to heat-not-burn, but it’s not an easy road

Written by Freddie Dawson | 20th February 2017

Japan Tobacco and Philip Morris International are attempting to widen their distribution of heat-not-burn (HnB) products throughout Pacific Asia, but there have been problems along the way....

China buys cheap, but higher prices bring higher returns

Written by ECigIntelligence | 10th February 2017

The most popular e-liquid products in China appear to be the cheapest ones, according to a new ECigIntelligence analysis of online pricing in the Chinese...

Global Horizon joint venture could open up Chinese market to e-cigs

Written by Freddie Dawson | 31st January 2017

A new UK-Chinese joint venture could bring Blu to the Chinese domestic market. But are the pricing conditions favourable for such a move?...

Three ministries’ three-year plan for Malaysian regulation

Written by Freddie Dawson | 12th January 2017

Malaysia at last has a plan for future e-cigarette regulation. Various duties have been given to three separate government ministries, which must now come back with firm proposals for implementation within the next three years....

Taiwan braced for legal U-turn on nicotine vs non-nicotine

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 20th December 2016

The legal status of e-cig products could be set for a radical overhaul in Taiwan, with nicotine-containing products becoming legal while nicotine-free products, currently widely available, are brought under pharmaceutical...

E-cig tax in doubt as India's tobacco trade looks forward to regime change

Written by ECigIntelligence | 19th December 2016

India's wide-ranging national tax reforms will considerably reduce the tax on tobacco in some states – good news for the country's tobacco industry, but not necessarily for its struggling e-cigarette...

Chinese authorities continue to duck challenge of e-cig regulation

Written by Freddie Dawson | 19th December 2016

Chinese e-cig regulation has been delayed due to agencies passing the buck, researchers say. Future regulation may shade more towards pharmaceutical or tobacco controls, with significant implications for the tiny domestic industry either way....

Threat of ban looms in Indonesia as health minister leads opposition

Written by ECigIntelligence | 15th December 2016

E-cigarettes could be banned entirely in Indonesia if the health minister has her way – and she has some powerful support in a nation which has the third highest prevalence of smoking in the...

Banning e-cigarettes could violate world trade pact, lawyers say

Written by Barnaby Page | 25th November 2016

Countries that ban vapour products could be breaking world trade agreements by unfairly privileging combustibles at the expense of e-cigarettes, two lawyers have...

China: are rigorous public smoking rules on the way at last?

Written by ECigIntelligence | 24th November 2016

China is finally to impose tough nationwide restrictions on smoking in public places, a public health official promised this...

Unsure on e-cig policy, Indian federal government asks states to regulate

Written by ECigIntelligence | 16th November 2016

The Indian government led by prime minister Narendra Modi has told the country’s component states to deal with e-cigarettes as the federal administration remains undecided on how to handle the matter....

WHO stands firm on e-cigs, urges nations to consider prohibition

Written by Barnaby Page | 15th November 2016

The World Health Organization (WHO) showed no signs of softening in its attitude toward reduced-risk products as its biannual tobacco control conference came to a close in...

WHO discusses ENDS, continues taking fight to tobacco industry

Written by ECigIntelligence | 10th November 2016

As the third day of the World Health Organization’s seventh Conference of the Parties (COP7) came to a close in India, the WHO was busy pushing for all loopholes to be closed in article 5.3...

BAT to start trials of Glo HnB product in Japanese stores

Written by Freddie Dawson | 8th November 2016

BAT says its Glo heat-not-burn product will be available in Japan from mid-December. It is running a test trial in one city before launching the product nationwide....

WHO criticised for closed-door talks as COP7 gets underway

Written by ECigIntelligence | 8th November 2016

Amid protests from local farmers, the seventh session of the Conference of Parties is underway in New Delhi with a focus on the illegal tobacco trade and Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) - which the...

Survey finds low usage in Philippines and India

Written by Freddie Dawson | 2nd November 2016

A new survey has found differing levels of awareness and e-cig use in the Philippines and India but neither market has really developed for vaping products as yet....

India bans e-cigarettes from checked baggage and in-flight use

Written by Freddie Dawson | 31st October 2016

India has become the latest country to ban the presence of e-cigarettes in check-in baggage as well as explicitly ban their use on-board aircraft. ...

E-cig experimentation widespread among Russian students

Written by ECigIntelligence | 26th October 2016

Nearly a third of Russian high-school students have tried vaping, according to new...

Bidis and illegal tobacco add up to an unusual challenge in India

Written by Barnaby Page | 4th October 2016

India’s largely undeveloped e-cigarette market has growth potential, but tobacco remains cheap and highly competitive, with a significant black...

JTI prepares Japan-wide Ploom Tech launch, but iQOS gains ground

Written by Freddie Dawson | 29th September 2016

Japan Tobacco (JTI) has ramped up production of its Ploom Tech e-cigarette in preparation for a nationwide launch across Japan, following successful trials in the city of...

Turkey blocks consumer access to online e-cigarette forum

Written by Freddie Dawson | 22nd September 2016

Turkey is preventing its citizens from accessing the country’s most popular vaping forum, amid an apparent stiffening of e-cigarette...

Taiwan may ban zero-nicotine e-cigs, but ease restrictions on others

Written by Freddie Dawson | 13th September 2016

Taiwan may consider partial legalisation of nicotine e-cigs as part of a proposal to close loopholes in current laws, hoping to cut down on youth uptake....

VMR anticipates lucrative but difficult Chinese domestic market

Written by Freddie Dawson | 4th August 2016

VMR anticipates great risk and greater potential in the Chinese domestic market....

Singapore convicts and fines three e-cigarette sellers

Written by Freddie Dawson | 18th July 2016

Three Singaporean e-cig retailers have been fined for attempting to import and sell e-cig hardware in the country....

New Kerala rule means e-cig bans now apply to 20% of Indians

Written by Barnaby Page | 4th July 2016

Kerala has become the fifth Indian state to ban e-cigarettes, only a few weeks after neighbouring Karnataka did...

Framework Convention “ignores its own harm reduction principles”

Written by Barnaby Page | 23rd June 2016

The World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) has been accused of ignoring its own founding document in taking a stance against e-cigarettes, as well as neglecting the governance principles of its...

Third Indian state bans e-cigs, citing youth addiction

Written by Barnaby Page | 21st June 2016

The Indian state of Karnataka has become the third to ban e-cigarettes. It follows Maharahstra and Punjab in what appears likely to become a subcontinental trend, as India’s tobacco control tightens and grave concerns about...

WHO report on e-cigs to be presented at COP7 conference

Written by Barnaby Page | 6th June 2016

Tobacco control leaders from around the globe will be presented with the latest findings of the World Health Organization (WHO) on e-cigarettes and public health at a meeting in India this...

Do you want to build a vapour business? Don’t choose Malaysia

Written by Freddie Dawson | 23rd May 2016

A massive decline in Malaysian vaper numbers has been confirmed by a local industry...

ISO to start work on international e-cigarette standard in October

Written by Freddie Dawson | 25th April 2016

The first meeting of an ISO standards committee covering e-cigarettes will take place on 24th October in Osaka,...

New Chinese trade body promises standardisation, lobbying

Written by Freddie Dawson | 22nd April 2016

A new trade association for the e-cigarette industry in China plans to lobby local and national governments to improve the business...

Three-year prison sentence for Indian e-cigarette seller

Written by Barnaby Page | 16th April 2016

An Indian shopkeeper is facing three years in jail for selling...

Vaping “more expensive than smoking in many countries"

Written by Barnaby Page | 29th March 2016

High pricing of e-cigarettes compared to combustibles could deter smokers from switching to vaping in many jurisdictions, a new study...

Black markets flourish as Asian governments ponder regulation

Written by Freddie Dawson | 18th March 2016

E-cigarette regulation is expected in the near future in both Malaysia and Hong Kong, while other southeast Asian countries such as Thailand and Vietnam face continuing battles with illegal...

Complete ban predicted in Hong Kong after smoking body’s study

Written by Freddie Dawson | 8th March 2016

A new study commissioned by Hong Kong’s Council on Smoking and Health (COSH) purports to show significant problems with carcinogens in vapour from electronic cigarettes, leading the organisation to reiterate its calls for a complete...

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