Tobacco Asia

74 tobaccoasia CLOSING NEWS 卷尾新闻 Li Bin Named CTIHK Chairman China Tobacco International (HK) Company Limited has appointed Li Bin as chairman of the board and a non-executive director, effective September 30. Li, 56, has spent 34 years in China's tobacco industry since joining the Guangdong Provincial Tobacco Monopoly Administration in 1992. He has held management positions across several China Tobacco industrial companies, including China Tobacco Guangdong, China Tobacco Guangxi, China Tobacco Henan, and China Tobacco Hubei. Li served as general manager of China Tobacco Henan Industrial Co. from 2020 to 2024 and then as general manager of China Tobacco Hubei Industrial Co. from August 2024 to July 2026. Since July, he has served as chairman of China Tobacco International Group Ltd. and general manager and director of China Tobacco International Inc. His previous roles covered production management, enterprise management, product research and development, market operations, and international expansion, according to CTIHK. He also served as director of Guangzhou Cigarette Factory from 2015 to 2017 and as deputy general manager of China Tobacco Guangxi Industrial from 2017 to 2020. Alongside his new role as chairman, Li will chair CTIHK's Nomination Committee and Strategic Development Committee and serve on its Remuneration Committee. His appointment brings the company's board committee structure into compliance with Hong Kong Stock Exchange require- ments, according to the company. Li holds a bachelor's degree in engineering and a master's degree in business administration from South China University of Technology. CTIHK said it will not pay him directors' remuneration during his tenure. Following Li's appointment, executive director Dai Jiahui ceased to perform the duties of chairman. Hong Kong Sets Plain-Packaging Rollout Hong Kong will begin introducing standardized cigarette packaging on March 1, 2027, under new regulations that will remove brand logos, colors, and decorative elements from conventional smoking-product packs. The Department of Health gazetted the subsidiary legislation on September 11. The rules will enter into force on March 1, 2027, followed by a nine-month transition period. Full enforcement will begin December 1, 2027. Under the new requirements, cigarette packs, long cigarette boxes, and specified cigar packaging can display only the brand and variant names in a prescribed font. Manufactur- ers must use standardized brown packaging and follow specified dimensions. The government set the dimensions at 85–125 mm in height, 50–72 mm in width, and 10–30 mm in depth, which officials said should cover most tobacco products currently on the market. During the transition period from March 1 through November 30, retailers can continue selling three categories of stock: products imported before March 1 without duty labels, products imported after March 1 in existing packaging with duty labels, and new compliant packs carrying duty labels. Selling non-compliant packs after the transition period can result in a maximum fine of HK$50,000 (US$6,400) upon conviction. The packaging changes will coincide with a new duty stamp system featuring physical and digital anti-counterfeiting measures. The government says the two measures will address different areas, with standardized packaging covering packag- ing requirements and duty stamps supporting efforts against illicit cigarettes. Hong Kong will also update the 12 graphic health warnings that have appeared on tobacco packaging since 2018. At the same time, the government will remove the requirement to print tar and nicotine yields on packs. JTI Calls for ASEAN Illicit-Trade Body Japan Tobacco International (JTI) is urging ASEAN govern- ments to establish a regional body to coordinate efforts against cross-border tobacco smuggling, arguing that fragmented enforcement allows illicit traders to exploit regulatory gaps. JTI regional director for anti-illicit trade operations Valentin Dinca said Southeast Asian governments should connect their enforcement efforts through a dedicated regional law enforcement body. He said the body could coordinate customs operations, intelligence sharing, and cargo verification. "[Illegal tobacco trade] is not just a matter that requires acting within one jurisdiction, simply because it is cross-border by nature. The next victory against organized criminality will come from connecting this type of action across the entire Southeast Asia region," Dinca said. JTI also wants ASEAN countries to harmonize export- control requirements and apply destination-market rules consistently. Under the proposed approach, exporters would ensure tobacco shipments meet the legal requirements of their destination markets, including applicable tax stamps and graphic health warnings. The push comes as illicit tobacco trade continues to affect the Philippines and other Southeast Asian markets. Industry data cited by JTI showed illicit tobacco's share of the Philippine market reached 26.4% in early 2026, up from 23.8% in 2024, with Mindanao emerging as a key area. Hong Kong's cigarette packs are set for a decidedly bleaker look when the new plain packaging law takes effect next March. Credit: Karyna Panchenko, Pexels.

• Cover