G/TBT/N/SGP/49  
 
1 March 2019  
(19-1270) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6  
 
1. Notifying Member:  SINGAPORE   
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible:  Ministry of Health of Singapore  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers , email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:   
Non-communicable Diseases Branch,  
Epidemiology & Disease Control Division  
Ministry of H ealth 
16 College Road, Singapore 169854  
(+65) 6325 8347  
Tobacco_Control@moh.gov.sg   
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [   ], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other : [X] 
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  All tobacco 
products covered by and not limited to HS codes starting with 2401, 2402 and 2403  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the  notified document:  Draft Tobacco 
(Control of Advertisements and Sale) (Appearance, Packaging and Labelling) Regulations 
2019 
6. Description of content:  The Ministry of Health proposes to introduce Standardised 
Packaging and Enlarged Graphic Health Warnin gs for Tobacco Products (“the proposed 
measure”) which aims to strictly regulate promotional aspects of tobacco packaging and 
to standardise packaging elements by:  
• Removing all logos, colours, brand images, and promotional information on 
packaging, other than brand names and product names (variants) displayed in a 
standard colour and font style.  
• Increasing the minimum size of the mandatory graphic health warnings from 
the existing 50% to cover 75% of all specified tobacco product packaging 
surfaces.  
The pr oposed measure will require all tobacco products, and the packaging or labelling of 
tobacco products, to comply with every requirement prescribed in subsidiary legislation, 
including requirements as to size, appearance, design, health warnings and other 
information to be stated. Tobacco products and their packaging or labelling will also not 
be permitted to bear any trade mark, term, descriptor, figurative or other sign, feature, 
scent or sound that is prescribed as prohibited, or promotes the tobacco produ ct by any 
means that is false, misleading, deceptive or likely to create an erroneous impression 
about its characteristics, health effects, hazards or emissions.  G/TBT/N/SGP/49  
 
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  The import into Singapore, and the distribution, sale, offer for sale or possession for sale 
in Singapore, of non -compliant tobacco products will be made an offence.  
Details of the proposed Regulations are available upon request from the contact point in 
section 11 below.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  Tobacco use is a significant public health problem in Singapore. The 
Government is committed to reducing the serious harm that smoking causes to individual 
Singaporeans and to the nation’s public health. Its long -standing public health objective 
is to promote and move towards a tobacco -free society. To this end, Singapore has 
adopted a multi -pronged approach to tobacco control. It further recognises that 
continuing efforts in tobacco control are necessary to sustain declines in the smoking 
rates, attain lower male smoking rates, and bring the overall smoking rate to a level that 
is as low as possible.  
The policy objectives of the proposed measure are to:  
• Reduce the attractiveness of tobacco products;  
• Eliminate the effects of tobacco packaging as a form of advertising and 
promotion;  
• Reduce the ability of tobacco packaging to mislead about the harmful effects of 
smoking (including on the relative harmful effects between products);  
• Increase the noticeability and effectiveness of graphic health warnings ; and  
• Better inform smokers and non -smokers of the risks associated with tobacco 
use. 
Ultimately, the proposed measure is intended to operate alongside other existing and 
possible future tobacco -control measures (such as increased taxation and public 
educa tion) to contribute towards meeting the Government’s obligations under the World 
Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), promote 
public health through the reduction of the prevalence of smoking in Singapore, and 
thereby cons titute a significant step towards Singapore becoming a tobacco -free society.  
8. Relevant documents:   
• Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) (Amendment) Bill 2019  
• Draft Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) (Appearance, Packaging 
and Labelling) Regulations 2019  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  To be confirmed (for Regulations on Standardised 
Packaging)  
Proposed date of entry into force:  To be confirmed, 12 months from gazetting of the 
Regulations  
10. Final date for comments:  60 days from notification  
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available , of other body:   
Non-communicable Diseases Branch,  
Epidemiology & Disease Control Division  
Ministry of Health  
16 College Road, Singapore 169854  
(+65) 6325 8347  
Tobacco_Control@moh.gov.sg