Singapore's Illegal E-Cigarette Trade Generates $8.1 Million Despite Ban

A recent report by the EU-ASEAN Business Council and Euromonitor International estimates that during the period from 2024 to 2025, Singapore's illegal e-cigarette market will generate a total revenue of 10.4 million SGD (approximately 8.1 million USD). This has resulted in an estimated tax loss of about 156 million SGD (approximately 121.7 million USD) for the Singapore government due to illegal tobacco sales.



Despite Singapore implementing a ban on e-cigarettes since 2018 and enforcing stricter penalties, law enforcement continues to intercept large quantities of smuggled goods, including a batch of e-cigarettes worth over 1.1 million SGD (approximately 858,000 USD) seized in February.
Reports from the Singapore Customs also indicate a sharp increase in the seizure of tax-evaded cigarettes in both 2024 and 2025. This suggests that while Singapore remains one of the countries with the lowest illegal cigarette consumption rates in the region, the phenomenon of illegal trade persists.