Vietnam will ban e-cigarette and heated tobacco sales from March 1, 2026, under amendments to the Investment Law. Photo credit: PMI.
Vietnam will prohibit the sale of electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products from March 1, 2026, after the National Assembly approved amendments to the Law on Investment on Thursday, according to local daily Tuoi Tre.
The amended law adds e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products to the list of banned business activities. Other prohibited sectors include the trade in narcotic substances, certain chemicals and minerals, wild plant and animal species sourced from nature, and prostitution services.
The decision follows action taken last year, when the National Assembly adopted a resolution banning the production, trading, import, possession, transportation, and use of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, Thanh Nien reported.
Alongside the ban, lawmakers approved transitional arrangements for certain export-focused projects. The National Assembly authorized the government to issue detailed regulations to manage investment projects that manufacture e-cigarette or heated tobacco equipment exclusively for export, provided authorities approved or registered those projects before January 1, 2025.
Finance minister Nguyễn Văn Thắng said the revised Investment Law reflects recommendations from the Standing Committee of the National Assembly and coordination among ministries. He said the revisions aim to clearly identify sectors that require scrutiny before investment approval, while shifting other industries to post-investment oversight based on technical standards.
Under the revised law, lawmakers removed or amended 38 conditional investment sectors. The legislation also requires the government to publish a comprehensive list of conditional business sectors that require licenses or certification, specify which sectors will move to post-investment management, and ensure that all conditional sectors and related requirements appear on the National Enterprise Registration Portal.
Angela Pratt, the World Health Organization’s representative in Vietnam, welcomed the latest legislative step, saying: “WHO is delighted with the decision to include e-cigarettes and HTPs in the list of banned enterprises under the Investment Law, without exceptions. This is crucial for upholding the National Assembly’s ban on these products – Resolution 173.”
WHO says any exemptions, exceptions, or loopholes in the Law on Investment or related legislation would seriously weaken the public health impact of the National Assembly’s earlier decision to ban these products. The organization said measures such as allowing domestic production for export or permitting heated tobacco products made from pure tobacco leaves could allow the products to reach the domestic market. WHO also warned that allowing manufacturing of these products in Vietnam would make enforcement of Resolution 173 extremely difficult and reduce its effectiveness in protecting public health.
Vietnam’s move places the country among the most restrictive markets in Asia for novel nicotine products.