The State Council has issued a comprehensive directive to strengthen the crackdown on tobacco-related illegal activities, including counterfeiting, smuggling, and illicit sales. The directive, State Council Document No. 44 [2025], outlines measures to enhance supervision and law enforcement across the entire tobacco supply chain to safeguard national interests and consumer rights.

Key measures include: 1. **Targeting Overseas Counterfeiting and Smuggling**: Strengthening international law enforcement cooperation to dismantle counterfeit tobacco production hubs and smuggling networks abroad. Efforts will focus on cross-border investigations, asset recovery, and intellectual property protection to curb the influx of counterfeit Chinese tobacco brands.

2. **Maritime Tobacco Smuggling Crackdown**: Enhancing intelligence-sharing and coastal patrols to intercept illegal tobacco shipments via sea routes, with a focus on key ports, vessels, and smuggling methods such as mid-sea transfers.

3. **Border and Port Control**: Tightening supervision over tobacco exports and preventing smuggling through border crossings, including stricter checks on travelers and cargo. Special attention will be paid to non-designated entry points and disguised shipments.

4. **Regulation of Special Zones**: Enforcing tobacco laws in customs zones and bonded areas, with strict licensing requirements for production, transport, and sales. Duty-free tobacco products will face heightened scrutiny throughout their supply chain.

5. **Transport and Postal Monitoring**: Increasing inspections of international transport and postal packages to intercept tobacco smuggling via these channels, including crackdowns on virtual currency transactions and online platforms facilitating illegal sales.

Domestically, the directive emphasizes: - Disrupting counterfeit tobacco supply chains by regulating raw materials and machinery. - Rooting out production hubs and penalizing organizers and accomplices. - Preventing the spread of counterfeit operations to rural and border areas. - Strengthening oversight of storage, transport, and retail channels, including e-commerce platforms. - Combating illegal e-cigarette activities, including unlicensed production and sales, with a focus on products containing addictive substances.

The State Council also calls for: - Upgrading legal frameworks and technical standards for tobacco enforcement. - Enhancing law enforcement capabilities with advanced equipment and training. - Promoting inter-departmental coordination and public awareness campaigns.

Local governments and agencies are urged to implement these measures effectively, with the tobacco administration overseeing coordination and reporting major developments to higher authorities.

The directive underscores China's commitment to maintaining a lawful and orderly tobacco market, protecting intellectual property, and curbing illicit trade.