China's HNB draft for comments officially released; market opening imminent

English summary

### China's HNB draft for comments officially released; market opening imminent Time: 2026-07-30 11:28:08 Content: Event: The draft for comments of the national standard for "Heated Tobacco Products" was officially released, with the comment deadline set for September 26, 2026, and the national standard is proposed to be implemented 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 be officially launched in China by late 2026 to early 2027. Core definitions of the national standard: 1) Tobacco sticks: no mold on appearance, water activity should not exceed 0.7, surface temperature of the lip contact area should not exceed 55°C, and the tobacco matrix should be made from tobacco leaves, reconstituted tobacco leaves, or processed cut tobacco. 2.) Heating devices: surface temperature of the heating element (tobacco matrix) should not exceed 380°C, users are not allowed to replace the battery, the device should have child-resistant start function and protection against accidental start, with specific guidance on waterproofing/fire/explosion/pressure release/drop strength/charging/temperature. …