Tobacco labeling meets with smuggling challenge

June 10, 2014 | 14:06

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Smuggled cigarettes in Vietnam without health warning labels are hurting both local tobacco firms and the state budget.

illustration photo

Under a Ministry of Health and Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) joint-circular that took effect in May last year, all tobacco products produced or imported into Vietnam must be labeled with health warnings. These warnings must be printed visibly. It stipulated that as of January this year, all cigarette packs without health warnings are illegal in the country.

Pham Kien Nghiep, general secretary of the Vietnam Tobacco Association, said that in the first quarter of this year, Vietnam’s tobacco production fell by 9 per cent compared to the same period last year, costing the state budget nearly $100 million.

He also said that the association would send petitions to the MoIT to increase inspections and punish tobacco smugglers.

According to the MoIT’s figures, between early 2013 and the end of March this year, more than 6.8 million packs of smuggled tobacco were intercepted by Vietnam in total with the Market Management Agency confiscating 1.5 million packs.

By By Phuong Thu

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