Personal import of heated tobacco products still banned: Taiwan customs

Taipei, July 29 (CNA) Travelers are still barred from bringing heated tobacco products into Taiwan, even as authorities move forward with conditional approval for commercial imports, the Customs Administration said Tuesday.

The statement followed an announcement earlier in the day by the Health Promotion Administration (HPA), which conditionally approved 14 heated tobacco products by two companies under the revised Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act.

According to the Customs Administration, the approved products -- which warm processed tobacco to release a nicotine-containing aerosol -- may be imported by manufacturers once they have passed the required health risk assessment.

However, under current regulations, individual travelers are not permitted to bring heated tobacco products into the country, the agency said.

It added that potential changes to personal import rules remain under discussion between government agencies, with no timeline yet provided for a decision.

Customs officials said heated tobacco products seized before March 22, 2023, may be reclaimed within three months of approval, while unclaimed items could be destroyed.

Illegal imports seized after that date will be referred to the local competent authority, the agency added.

Since the law's amendment, the customs agency has confiscated more than 4 million packs of heated tobacco products, it added.

The HPA has not set a definitive timeline for when the conditionally approved products could reach the market, noting that further reviews of packaging and products are still required.

The revised Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act fully bans e-cigarettes and requires new types of tobacco products, such as heated tobacco, to pass a health risk assessment before they can be manufactured, imported or sold.