SPRING 2024 TOBACCO To tackle the illicit trade in tobacco, HM Revenue and Customs is changing the way other tobacco products are supplied and marked The UK Tobacco Track and Trace system is being extended to other tobacco products (OTPs) from 20 May. If you manufacture, import, transport, store or sell OTPs including cigars, cigarillos, waterpipe tobacco (shisha), pipe tobacco, and other niche products that contain tobacco there are new processes you must follow. UK Tobacco Track and Trace requires tobacco products to be marked enabling them to be tracked from their point of manufacture and through the supply chain UK Tobacco Track and Trace is an electronic system that requires tobacco products to be marked with a secure, unique identifier (UID). This enables the product to be tracked from its point of manufacture in or importation into the UK and through the supply chain. What you need to do Manufacturers, importers and suppliers of OTPs in the UK need an economic operator identifier (EOID) code for their business, and a facility identifier (FID) code for each location at which they manufacture, store or sell OTPs. You will need your EOID and FID every time you buy, sell or move OTPs. To get these codes, you must register and create an account with the UKs ID Issuer portal. You will then have access to the portal user guide and frequently asked questions. Pre-May 2024 OTPs OTPs manufactured in, or imported into, the UK before 20 May 2024 are not required to be marked with a UID. Your EOID will arrive by email within two working days. You can then log into the portal to request FID codes and, if you are a manufacturer or importer, you can also request machine identifier (MID) codes and buy UID codes. There will be a 24-month sell-through period, during which businesses can use up supplies of old stock. These products can move through the supply chain and be sold to the public without being tracked until 20 May 2026. If you manufacture or import OTPs, each packet must be marked with a UID, which holds information about the location and date of manufacture. This will be scanned at each stage of the supply chain up to the point of dispatch from the manufacturer or importer, or any affiliated business. The only exception is for some handmade cigars, which can continue to be moved through the supply chain and sold to the public without being tracked. HMRC will provide further details on which handmade cigars will be exempt on Gov.uk. You can also buy aggregate UIDs, or generate them yourself, that are linked to the unit packet UIDs on anything that holds more than one packet. You must also have an MID code for each machine used in the manufacturing process of OTPs. If you only sell OTPs to the public, you only need to get an EOID and FID codes. The ID Issuer must be notified of any changes to your details or business, including if you stop manufacturing, importing, transporting, storing or selling OTPs. If you have any queries, contact the Tobacco Track and Trace team. Credit: Andy Tandy, Principal Trading Standards Officer Image: iStock.com / tbradford For further information, please contact your local Trading Standards Service For up-to-date news stories and information, follow us on Anonymous Hotline 0300 303 2636 Is your sector being undermined by unscrupulous traders operating outside the law? Report them via Trading Standards Anonymous Hotline or online and help level the playing field for honest businesses.