China

Legal basis: STMA Announcement (Jan 2026) bringing smokeless tobacco under Tobacco Monopoly Law

As of 9 January 2026 the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration (STMA) brought snus and other smokeless tobacco under the state tobacco monopoly, to be managed like cigarettes/cut tobacco. Unlicensed production and sale are banned; commercial availability is highly restricted. No legal retail channel for snus exists in practice.

Legal basis: STMA Announcement on smokeless tobacco products (effective Jan 2026)

Effective 9 January 2026, nicotine pouches are classified as smokeless tobacco products under the state tobacco monopoly, managed as cigarettes/cut tobacco. Unlicensed production and sale are prohibited and the sector is treated as a 'restricted industry', so legal commercial availability is heavily curtailed.

Minimum age: 18+

Legal basis: Electronic Cigarette Administration Measures (effective 1 May 2022); E-cigarette National Standard (Oct 2022)

E-cigarettes are legal but tightly regulated under STMA. Only tobacco-flavoured products are permitted for domestic sale; flavoured e-cigarettes (other than tobacco) and refillable/open systems with custom e-liquid are banned. Sales restricted to licensed channels.

Legal basis: Tobacco Monopoly Law of the People's Republic of China

Heated tobacco products (IQOS etc.) are not officially approved for domestic sale in mainland China; they are treated as cigarettes under the Tobacco Monopoly Law and only the state monopoly may sell tobacco. No HTP has an approved legal retail channel, so they are effectively unavailable domestically.