On January 9, 2026, China’s top tobacco regulator, the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration (STMA), published Announcement No. 1 of 20261, officially incorporating nicotine pouches and other “smokeless tobacco products” into its regulatory framework. According to the Announcement, “smokeless tobacco products” refer to tobacco products containing nicotine that are used orally, nasally, or externally
China Update: STMA Publishes Guidelines on Quality Assurance for E-Cigarettes for Export
Although e-cigarettes manufactured in China for export to overseas markets are not subject to pre-market approval in China, and are only required to comply with the regulations of the destination country, China’s State Tobacco Monopoly Administration (STMA) still attaches great importance to the quality management of e-cigarettes for export.

On July 18, 2023, STMA released…
Keller and Heckman Hosts E-Cigarette Regulatory Conference with China STMA
From December 5-7, 2022, Keller and Heckman hosted a private conference with the China State Tobacco Monopoly Administration (STMA) on the topic of U.S. and global e-cigarette and tobacco product regulation. The event was approved by China’s Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and was attended by over 700 officials from STMA and its local…
A Closer Look at China’s New E-Cigarette Regulations
With the implementation of the Management Rules of E-cigarettes and the forthcoming effective date for the GB Standard on E-cigarettes (October 1, 2022), China has been regularly updating its e-cigarette regulations. Following up on our recent articles on China’s GB Standard and manufacturer license requirements, below we summarize various e-cigarette regulations recently promulgated by the…
China Publishes Final GB Standard on E-Cigarettes: The Basis for Product Compliance
Since we reported in December 2021 on some significant developments in China’s regulation of e-cigarettes (including the draft national standard on e-cigarettes) as well as in March 2022 on the finalized Management Rules for E-Cigarettes, China’s State Tobacco Monopoly Administration (STMA), also referred to as China National Tobacco Corporation (CNTC), has not only released the…