2Firsts, November 17, 2025, Stockholm— As the global nicotine pouch industry continues its rapid expansion, leading brands, manufacturers, technology providers, and regulatory experts convened in Sweden for one of the most anticipated professional events of the year — PouchEX Stockholm 2025.
As a key platform in the Modern Oral Products (MOP) sector, PouchEX is hosted in Sweden — the global industrial hub and benchmark consumer market for modern nicotine pouches — giving the event unique industrial significance and strategic relevance. The exhibition brought together dozens of leading international companies and featured more than ten expert speakers from regulation, science, manufacturing, and innovation.
On November 15, during the conference, Alan Zhao, Co-Founder and CEO of 2Firsts, was officially invited by the organizers to deliver a keynote speech titled “China’s Nicotine Pouch Industry: Landscape and Global Impact.” Zhao’s presentation was widely recognized as one of the highlights of the event.
In his remarks, Zhao emphasized that China is rapidly emerging as one of the most dynamic growth engines of the global nicotine pouch industry. “You can ignore China, but your competitors won’t.” He noted that China has established a complete supply chain spanning raw materials, manufacturing equipment, automated production, packaging, and flavor R&D — with quality standards continuously rising. As more major companies enter the sector, China’s manufacturing capabilities will further accelerate global industry transformation, competition, and innovation.
On the consumer side, Zhao shared exclusive insights derived from 2Firsts’ long-term research. Due to regulatory factors, nicotine pouches in China are currently sold primarily through online channels. China Tobacco has not yet launched its own nicotine pouch brand, and international leading brands have not officially entered the domestic market. According to 2Firsts’ analysis of current online consumer behavior, brand awareness among Chinese users remains at an early stage, but consumption patterns show a dual motivation of functional needs and emotional value — along with notable stability and strong growth potential.
Contrary to common assumptions, Zhao emphasized that nicotine pouches in China are not a niche demand but instead reflect a broad and genuine foundation of harm reduction needs. “The unique usage format and consumption scenarios of nicotine pouches give them a naturally wide user base in China,” he said.
As a global leader in nicotine industry intelligence and media, 2Firsts continues to promote transparency, innovation, and international collaboration across the tobacco harm reduction (THR) sector. Zhao concluded by stating that 2Firsts will continue to provide data, research, and strategic insights across all emerging nicotine categories — including nicotine pouches — supporting the industry’s sustainable, innovative, and compliance-driven development.
Zhao’s keynote offered the global industry a crucial window into China’s emerging nicotine pouch landscape and reinforced the importance of cross-border cooperation in driving sustainable growth for the international nicotine pouch sector.
