China HNB Draft Standard Officially Released, Market Opening Imminent

English summary

Event: The draft for national standard 'Heated Tobacco Products' (征求意见稿) has been officially released, with the comment deadline of September 26, 2026, and the proposed implementation date 6 months after publication. Given that there are currently no HNB products in the market and no transition period is needed, we judge that HNB products are expected to officially land in China between end-2026 and early-2027. Key standard definitions: 1) Tobacco sticks: appearance no mold, water activity not higher than 0.7, surface temperature of lip contact area not higher than 55°C, tobacco matrix should be made from tobacco leaves, re-dried tobacco leaves, reconstituted tobacco leaves or cut tobacco. 2) HNB devices: heating element (tobacco matrix) surface temperature not exceeding 380°C, user battery replacement not allowed, devices should have child-resistant start function and protection against accidental start, plus specific guidelines for waterproofing/fire/explosion/pressure relief/drop strength/charging/temperature. 3) Aerosol: average nicotine release per puff not higher than 0.2 mg, similar to high-nicotine cigarettes, can meet needs of regular smokers. ...