Market & regulatory data for the vapour sector in Kuwait

21st June 2024: China: According to recently updated trade data from the General Administration of Customs, in April 2024, exports of e-cigarettes to Kuwait totalled approximately $7.24m, showing decreases both month-on-month (44.78%) and year-on-year (89.28%). The export volume was around 139 tonnes, showing increases both month-on-month (48.89%) and year-on-year (108.33%). The export unit price was $51.94 per kg, decreasing 2.8% month-on-month and 9.1% year-on-year, press reports.
2nd May 2024: Kuwait: Abeer Al-Bahwa, director of the Health Promotion Department at the Ministry of Health, highlighted the ministry’s concern over the spread of e-cigarette usage among 13- to 15-year-olds, and called for stricter regulation, arguing that young e-cigarette users are approximately three times more likely to transition to traditional cigarettes later in life, press reports.
30th November 2023: Kuwait: Deputy prime minister Essa Al-Kandari’s letter requesting the urgent ratification of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Unilateral Tax Agreement was not discussed during the ordinary session of the National Assembly, as the government withdrew the request. The tax imposed on e-cigarettes will remain unchanged.
28th November 2023: Kuwait: Today, the National Assembly will discuss deputy prime minister Essa Al-Kandari’s request for the urgent ratification of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Unilateral Tax Agreement. If passed, an ad valorem excise tax at a rate of 100% of the retail sale price will be applicable for both nicotine-containing and nicotine-free e-cigarettes and e-liquids.
31st May 2023: Kuwait: During an awareness campaign about the dangers of tobacco, the vice president of the National Anti-Smoking Programme (from the Ministry of Health), Ahmed El-Shatti, said that Kuwait is the cheapest in the Gulf region in terms of tobacco prices, and called for an increase in tobacco taxation to reduce consumption rates and the number of tobacco users, press reports. It should be noted that Kuwait has not yet adopted the 100% customs duty imposed by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
16th December 2022: Kuwait: The Kuwaiti Customs has released "Customs Instruction No. 101/2022", postponing the adoption of the 100% customs duty tax imposed by the Gulf Cooperation Council on e-cigarettes and e-liquids, until further notice. The administration issued a similar notice in February, postponing the adoption of the duty from 1st March to 1st September, before deferring it until 1st January 2023.
13th December 2022: Gulf Cooperation Council: The Gulf Health Council has launched a week-long online campaign under the slogan “#companionship_without_vaping” to combat the use of e-cigarettes, particularly by young people, press reports.
17th August 2022: Kuwait: Kuwaiti Customs has again postponed the adoption of the 100% customs duty imposed on e-cigarettes and e-liquids by the Gulf Cooperation Council, putting it back from 1st September 2022 to 1st January 2023. The administration issued a similar notice in February, postponing adoption of the duty from 1st March to 1st September.

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