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  • BAT Completes $420M Block Trade of ITC Hotel Shares

    BAT Completes $420M Block Trade of ITC Hotel Shares

    On December 4, British American Tobacco announced that its subsidiaries planned to sell between 7% and 15.3% of their shares in ITC Hotels through an accelerated bookbuild, with the exact number of shares to be determined by optimal pricing. Proceeds from the sale, CEO Tadeu Marroco said, would help BAT move toward its “target 2–2.5x net debt/EBITDA leverage” by the end of 2026.

    On December 5, the trade was completed, with 187.5 million ordinary shares going to investors by way of an accelerated bookbuild process. The Block Trade Shares represent 9% of ITC Hotels’ issued ordinary share capital, and amounted to INR 38.2 bn ($420 million). Following the trade, BAT still retains a 6.3% holding in ITC Hotels.

    Established in 1975, the business of ITC Hotels has grown to encompass over 140 hotels across more than 90 destinations in the Indian subcontinent.

  • CAA Elects Terry Gallagher as New Chairman

    CAA Elects Terry Gallagher as New Chairman

    The Cigar Association of America (CAA) announced that Terry Gallagher, Jr., president of Smoker Friendly tobacco outlets, has been elected chairman of the association, succeeding Javier Estades. Gallagher, Jr. brings decades of experience in the premium cigar and tobacco sectors and assumes leadership as the association continues its advocacy and industry-support efforts.

    CAA president Scott Pearce praised Estades for his nine years of service, during which the association strengthened federal and state advocacy, expanded policymaker engagement, and became a leading voice on tobacco issues. Estades will remain on the Board.

    The Board also elected new officers: Eric Newman (Vice Chair), Carrie Freed (Treasurer), and Henry Roemer (Secretary). Gallagher, Jr. emphasized collaboration with the leadership team to advance cigar-specific regulation, protect adult consumers, and preserve the heritage of premium cigars.

  • SKE Launches 15K Puff Vape in UK

    SKE Launches 15K Puff Vape in UK

    SKE introduced its first 15,000-puff device, the SKE BAR 15K, to the UK market, aiming to drive soaring sales amid rising demand for refillable products. The launch follows the success of SKE’s 6,000-puff model, SKE CL6000, which the company said has sold tens of millions of units globally.

    The rechargeable 15K device “features a 2ml pod and 10ml e-liquid container, 16 popular flavors, a long-lasting 48-hour battery, transparent pods for monitoring e-liquid, and a smart display for user convenience.” Retailing at £12.99, with a 12ml refill at £7.99, one device “provides the equivalent of roughly 1,000 cigarettes, making it significantly more cost-effective than traditional packs.”

    Chris Dong, SKE Regional Sales Director, highlighted that the device helps smokers transition from disposables and conventional cigarettes while offering affordability. The rechargeable design also reduces environmental impact, with a single device lasting 1.5–5 months depending on usage.

  • Great Wall Cigar Explores Partnerships with Cuba, Morocco, Indonesia

    Great Wall Cigar Explores Partnerships with Cuba, Morocco, Indonesia

    A delegation from China Tobacco Sichuan’s Great Wall Cigar Factory recently visited the embassies of Cuba, Morocco, and Indonesia in Beijing to discuss industrial cooperation and trade expansion.

    At the Cuban embassy, talks with Minister Counsellor Igor Montero Brito focused on collaboration in tobacco breeding, processing technology, and cultural exchange. The Cuban official highlighted cigars as a national symbol comparable to China’s silk and porcelain.

    In Morocco, discussions centered on leveraging the country’s strategic location to create a regional hub for cigar processing and distribution. In Indonesia, the delegation received confirmation of a recent commercial order, reflecting growing bilateral trade. Great Wall Cigar holds about 50% of China’s handmade cigar market and nearly 70% of its high-end segment, exporting to 28 countries.

  • Philippines Seeks Feedback on Vape Advertising Permits

    Philippines Seeks Feedback on Vape Advertising Permits

    The Philippines’ Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is inviting stakeholders and the public to comment on a draft policy introducing a mandatory permitting system for advertising and sales promotion of vape products, including devices and novel tobacco products. The proposed Department Administrative Order (DAO) requires advertisers to obtain either an Advertisement Permit or Sales Promotion Permit from the Office for the Special Mandate on Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products before any campaign can be released.

    Under the draft DAO, campaigns must be filed at least 30 days in advance, may run for up to one year (extendable by six months), and require submission of business registration documents, campaign materials, and proof that retail stores are not within 100 meters of schools or areas frequented by minors. Fees vary by permit type, geography, and number of prizes, and amendments must be reported 14 days before release.

    The policy also introduces mandatory age-gating for online promotions to restrict access to users aged 18 and above.

  • Central America’s No. 1 Tobacco Importer, Belize Pushing for Tobacco Control

    Central America’s No. 1 Tobacco Importer, Belize Pushing for Tobacco Control

    Belize is advancing its Tobacco Control Bill 2025, with first readings complete and second and third readings scheduled next week. Dr. Melissa Diaz Musa, Director of Public Health & Wellness, described the legislation as “strong” and aimed at regulating tobacco like other legal substances to protect public health.

    The bill seeks to curb tobacco use and related non-communicable diseases, drawing public support for stricter regulations similar to seatbelt or driver licensing laws.

    While reporting on the bill, 7 News Belize wrote, “while the bill is progressive, in a jarring contradiction we must note that due to the tobacco trade coming out of the northern and western free zones, Belize is the number one tobacco importer in all of Central America and it feeds cheap Chinese cigarettes into Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala through legal and illegal crossings.”

  • Switzerland to Implement New Tobacco-Ad Rules in 2027

    Switzerland to Implement New Tobacco-Ad Rules in 2027

    Switzerland opened a formal consultation on new tobacco and nicotine advertising restrictions, setting the stage for the rules to take effect in early 2027. The move marks a key step in implementing the “Children and young people without tobacco advertising” initiative approved by voters in 2022, which calls for banning all tobacco ads accessible to minors.

    After protracted debate, parliament adopted a compromise earlier this year. Advertising in newspapers and magazines will be prohibited unless the publication is primarily subscription-based and at least 98% of readers are adults. The draft ordinance also details new age-verification requirements for online ads, e-commerce sales, and vending machines. Proof of age must be confirmed using an official physical or digital ID, including SwissID or the national e-ID.

    Additional rules outline how event organizers must prevent minors from seeing tobacco-sponsored advertising, including mandatory age checks and restricting access to areas where such ads are displayed.

  • Pakistan’s Pouch Market Reshaping Tobacco Landscape

    Pakistan’s Pouch Market Reshaping Tobacco Landscape

    With a smoking rate of 19.5% and high instances of smoking-related illnesses, Pakistan is beginning to embrace the shift to lower-risk alternative products, including a quickly expanding nicotine pouch market that is not only good news for health advocates but is creating business opportunities as well.

    Philip Morris (Pakistan) Limited recently began local production of ZYN at its Sahiwal facility, following British American Tobacco’s early entrance with Velo in 2019, solidifying Pakistan as a key growth market for modern oral nicotine products. Industry momentum is being driven by strong demand from adult tobacco users seeking alternatives to cigarettes and traditional oral products such as paan, naswar, and gutka. A recent LMIC case study cited Pakistan as having the world’s largest consumer base for nicotine pouches, noting toxicant levels far lower than in conventional oral tobacco.

    Local production is boosting jobs, tax revenue, and regulatory oversight, but authorities are expected to weigh stricter age controls, product standards, and monitoring as the category scales.

  • Imperial Canada Urges Action as Illicit Pouch Surge

    Imperial Canada Urges Action as Illicit Pouch Surge

    Imperial Tobacco Canada called on the federal government to act quickly against a growing illicit market for nicotine pouches, following a CBC investigation that found widespread illegal sales in stores and online. The company says a recent Ministerial Order requiring legal pouches to be kept behind pharmacy counters has backfired by pushing consumers toward unregulated, higher-nicotine products sold without age checks.

    “By restricting access to regulated products, the policy has driven consumers straight toward unmonitored, illegal alternatives,” said Eric Gagnon, Imperial’s vice-president of corporate and regulatory affairs. He warned that these illicit pouches often lack quality controls and pose risks to public health, especially for youth.

    Imperial echoed public health expert David Hammond’s call for stronger enforcement, including proactive retail inspections, but said enforcement alone is insufficient. The company argues that allowing approved cessation products to be sold in convenience stores and gas stations—where adult smokers already shop—would help cut demand for illegal alternatives. Imperial’s ZONNIC, the only pouch authorized by Health Canada, is limited to 4 mg of nicotine and must meet strict standards, unlike the illicit products now proliferating across the market.

  • Czech Republic Bans Candy-Flavored Vapes

    Czech Republic Bans Candy-Flavored Vapes

    Candy-flavored e-cigarettes and products containing cannabinoids will not be replenished as they are sold at Czech vape shops under a new law that took effect this week. Retailers have seven months to clear existing stock before the products are prohibited.

    Health experts say the ban is aimed at protecting minors, who they say are especially vulnerable to nicotine addiction and often unaware of the high doses delivered by e-cigarettes. They say nearly 14% of Czechs used e-cigarettes last year, and usage among 15- to 24-year-olds has surged to more than 25%, with most choosing sweet flavors.

    Critics argue that enforcing existing age-restriction laws would be more effective, but supporters point to international evidence suggesting flavor restrictions reduce youth uptake. Fruit-flavored products will remain available, but officials say removing candy-style options is a necessary step to limit early nicotine exposure.