Key practical points:
• Producing and selling tobacco products needs a state monopoly license.
• Tobacco cultivation and purchase follow plans, quotas, and guided prices.
• Wholesale and retail cigarette sales require a valid license.
• Import and export of tobacco and its products are restricted and monopolized.
• Unlicensed or smuggled trade is severely penalized.
🏢 Company setup
Tobacco Monopoly Law · Yalla China
中华人民共和国烟草专卖法 / Tobacco Monopoly Law
Enacted: 1991-06-29 ✅ Effective: 1992-01-01
📝 Overview
A law placing the production, wholesale, and sale of tobacco products under state monopoly through a strict licensing system. It controls cultivation, manufacturing, distribution, import, and export.
This is general information only, not legal advice. For your specific case, consult a licensed lawyer.
📜 The law text / key provisions
💬 Practical reading
💬 This is a general reading/opinion for orientation — not the official legal text nor legal advice.
If you consider trading tobacco or cigarettes in China, know it is a fully monopolized sector you cannot enter without a special license. Violations carry heavy penalties. General orientation, not legal advice.
📎 Official source
npc.gov.cn
🕒 Updated: 16 March 2026