Brands to go in Germany after TPD brought in

The new EU Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) will result in cigarette brands with a market share of 1 percent or less being taken off the German market, according to a Die Welt story.

Such brands would no longer be profitable, the newspaper said.

Under the TPD, which has to be included within national laws by next year, two-thirds of the surfaces of cigarette packages will have to be covered with graphic and written health warnings.

Die Welt said that not all cigarette brands would survive that change.

The change would be too expensive in respect of certain niche products, Ralf Wittenberg, the CEO of British American Tobacco Germany, was quoted as having said.

BAT now sells 16 brands in Germany but the figure was expected to drop to six after the TPD changes.