Global Markets
Home›Global Markets›Trade & Tariffs›Hong Kong to introduce plain cigarette packs from Marc…
Hong Kong to introduce plain cigarette packs from March 2027
The Department of Health said graphic health warnings will be more prominent under the rules, and full enforcement will begin in December after a nine-month transition.
Hong Kong will roll out standardized, plain cigarette packaging starting next March, with full enforcement scheduled for December, the citys Department of Health said.
The new rules require retail packs of cigarettes, long cigarette boxes, and specified cigars to remove brand logos and other advertising elements, replacing them with only brand and variant names in a prescribed font, printed in standard plain brown.
Officials said the approach is intended to reduce the appeal of tobacco products, pointing to a 2023 Chinese University of Hong Kong study in which 79.8 percent of surveyed smokers said plain packaging made cigarettes less attractive.
The Department of Health also cited policy adoption by 27 countries and regions, including Australia, Canada, and France, and referenced an Australian cohort study that found quit attempts rose from 20.2 percent to 26.6 percent within a year after implementation in 2012, according to the announcement.