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  • PMI Urges EU to Ensure ‘Fair Treatment’ of Tobacco in Review

    PMI Urges EU to Ensure ‘Fair Treatment’ of Tobacco in Review

    Philip Morris International called on the European Union to ensure that the tobacco sector receives the same regulatory treatment as other legal industries as policymakers prepare revisions to the Tobacco Excise Directive (TED) and the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD). In a letter to Ursula von der Leyen, published by PMI’s Europe President Massimo Andolina, the company argued that current EU policies are shaped by bias against the tobacco industry and fail to recognize its economic contribution. PMI said the sector supports more than two million jobs across Europe, contributes approximately €180 billion in annual tax revenue, and maintains a significant regional manufacturing and supply chain footprint.

    The company also highlighted its investment in smoke-free products and harm-reduction innovation, arguing that forthcoming regulatory decisions will influence Europe’s ability to attract investment and maintain competitiveness in the sector. PMI called for future tobacco regulation to be guided by evidence, transparency and inclusiveness, while EU institutions continue to review potential changes to tobacco taxation and product rules across the bloc.

  • PMI-WSJ Study Highlights Human Value in AI-Driven Workplace

    PMI-WSJ Study Highlights Human Value in AI-Driven Workplace

    Philip Morris International and WSJ Intelligence, the in-house thought leadership consultancy for The Wall Street Journal’s commercial sales organization, today (June 23) unveiled preliminary findings from a global study suggesting that uniquely human capabilities will become increasingly valuable as artificial intelligence becomes more deeply embedded in the workplace. Based on a survey of more than 2,500 business professionals across the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, South Africa, and Brazil, the research found that while AI adoption is accelerating, professionals continue to place greater trust in human judgment for strategic and creative decisions.

    The study found that 83% of respondents use AI for research and information synthesis on a weekly basis, but only 57% report a high level of trust in its outputs. When AI-generated recommendations conflict with human insights, 62% said human intuition should remain the final authority. Respondents identified critical thinking as the most important workplace skill but also the one most at risk of erosion through overreliance on AI, while creative empathy and adaptability were cited as the human capabilities expected to gain the most importance over the next three years.

    The research also highlighted a divide in AI proficiency and trust between senior executives and entry-level employees, with C-suite leaders reporting significantly higher levels of expertise and confidence in AI tools. PMI said the findings support its view that human cognition should be treated as a strategic business resource as companies increasingly integrate AI into their operations, with a full report scheduled for release in September.

  • AI Search Favors Family-Owned Premium Cigar Brands: Research

    AI Search Favors Family-Owned Premium Cigar Brands: Research

    Family-owned premium cigar manufacturers dominate recommendations generated by leading artificial intelligence search platforms, according to the newly released 2026 Cigar & Pipe AI Visibility Index from communications firm 5W. The study found that Padrón (11.5%) and Arturo Fuente (10.5%) topped the list with Davidoff (7.5%) a distant third, together accounting for nearly a third of the premium cigar brand citations across ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews. My Father Cigars (5.5%, Oliva (4.5%), Rocky Patel (4%), Drew Estate (3.6%), Perdomo (3.4%), Ashton (3%), and non-Cuban Cohiba (2.8% rounded out the top 10.  

    The report argues that AI systems disproportionately favor brands with strong family-ownership narratives, vertical integration and longstanding editorial recognition, particularly from Cigar Aficionado, whose rankings and retailer surveys are frequently cited in AI-generated responses. The study also found that U.S. restrictions on Cuban cigars create a structural advantage for non-Cuban versions of brands such as Cohiba, Montecristo, and Romeo y Julieta, which are more likely to be recommended in response to consumer queries. According to 5W, AI citation patterns increasingly mirror brand visibility and reputation in the premium cigar sector, making search prominence a growing competitive factor as consumers turn to AI platforms for product recommendations.

  • Australian Economist Calls to Eliminate Tobacco Excise

    Australian Economist Calls to Eliminate Tobacco Excise

    Prominent Australian economist and public policy expert Richard Holden called for the temporary elimination of Australia’s tobacco excise, arguing that only a dramatic tax reduction can effectively dismantle the country’s rapidly expanding illicit tobacco market. Holden, a professor at the University of New South Wales and columnist for the Australian Financial Review, said reducing excise rates incrementally would be insufficient and that taxes should be cut to zero for as long as necessary to make illegal tobacco sellers uncompetitive. He argued that enforcement efforts alone are unlikely to succeed given the scale of the illicit market and the limited resources available to police agencies, and that undercutting the illicit process was the best way to eliminate it.

    Holden’s comments come as new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics estimated that about 80% of nicotine products consumed in Australia in 2025 were sourced from the illegal market, up from 12% in 2017. He noted that the tobacco excise on a single cigarette has risen from 26 cents ($0.18) to approximately A$1.53 ($1.09), adding more than A$30 ($21.30) in tax to a pack of 20 cigarettes. The proposal goes beyond recent calls by Australian politician Pauline Hanson to halve tobacco excise and freeze indexation, highlighting growing debate over whether Australia’s high-tax tobacco policy is contributing to the expansion of a black market estimated to be worth billions of dollars annually.

  • Ukraine Alleges Tobacco Company Hid $55M in Taxes

    Ukraine Alleges Tobacco Company Hid $55M in Taxes

    Ukrainian authorities have notified the former director of a tobacco manufacturing company of suspicion in connection with an alleged tax evasion scheme that prosecutors say deprived the state of more than UAH 2.3 billion ($55 million) in excise tax revenue. According to Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, company officials allegedly organized the production and sale of unaccounted tobacco products outside official tax and accounting records while presenting the activity as legitimate manufacturing.

    Investigators claim that more than 1,186 tons of tobacco raw materials were processed into cigarettes and sold without payment of excise duties, resulting in a substantial tax shortfall identified through tax audits and forensic economic examinations. Authorities further allege that company officials attempted to conceal the illegal use of raw materials by falsifying claims that the tobacco had been stolen. The former director has been charged under Article 212 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code for intentional tax evasion on an especially large scale, an offense that carries financial penalties, potential asset confiscation, and restrictions on holding certain positions. No company has been officially named in the filings; however, some in the Ukrainian media speculate that the company is Kremin Tabako.

  • FDA: Youth Tobacco Use Remains Near Historic Lows

    FDA: Youth Tobacco Use Remains Near Historic Lows

    Today (June 23), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reported continued declines in youth tobacco use, releasing findings from its 2025 National Youth Tobacco Survey showing that current use of tobacco products among middle and high school students fell between 2022 and 2025 across overall tobacco products, combustible products and e-cigarettes. Earlier this year, the FDA released raw NYTS data without comment.

    In 2025, approximately 2 million students, or 7.2% of U.S. middle and high school students, reported using any tobacco product in the past 30 days, while 2.7% reported using multiple tobacco products and 2.6% reported using combustible products.

    E-cigarettes remained the most commonly used category at 5.2%, followed by nicotine pouches at 1.7% and cigarettes at 1.4%. While nicotine pouch use increased among high school students over the 2022-2025 period, FDA said overall youth use remained low and was stable between 2024 and 2025. The agency said the findings support ongoing youth prevention efforts, including enforcement against unauthorized tobacco products and educational campaigns, while continuing to inform regulatory reviews of new tobacco and nicotine products.

  • Philippines Urged to Lead ASEAN Effort Against Growing Illicit Tobacco Trade

    Philippines Urged to Lead ASEAN Effort Against Growing Illicit Tobacco Trade

    The Philippines has been urged to spearhead a coordinated ASEAN response to illicit tobacco trade as it assumes the bloc’s chairmanship, with government and industry representatives warning that tobacco smuggling has evolved into a sophisticated regional criminal enterprise. Speaking at the Third International Tobacco Summit in Pasig City, participants called for harmonized enforcement and regulatory strategies across Southeast Asia to prevent transnational syndicates from exploiting gaps between national markets.

    According to Euromonitor International, illicit tobacco in the ASEAN-6 markets—comprising the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand and Singapore—resulted in an estimated $12.6 billion in lost government revenue over the past two years, with illicit volumes projected to grow from 145 billion sticks in 2025 to 170 billion sticks by 2028. Domestically, the Philippine Tobacco Institute estimated the country’s illicit tobacco market at P141 billion ($2.3 billion) and called for stronger regional collaboration to combat increasingly sophisticated smuggling networks. Industry representatives also advocated greater use of artificial intelligence tools to improve cargo screening and identify suspected tobacco smuggling operations. Japan Tobacco International regional anti-illicit trade director Valentin Dinca said the Philippines ranks among the strongest markets globally in combating illegal tobacco trade, while noting further opportunities to enhance enforcement capabilities and reduce illicit market activity.

  • Bangladesh Risks $328M From Cigarette Pricing Structure

    Bangladesh Risks $328M From Cigarette Pricing Structure

    Bangladesh could forgo more than Tk 4,000 crore ($328 million) in annual tobacco tax revenue in fiscal year 2026-27 because cigarette prices set in the proposed budget do not reflect actual retail market prices, according to the Power and Participation Research Center (PPRC). The think tank estimates that the government will lose approximately Tk 4,062 crore ($333 million) in revenue because low- and medium-tier cigarettes are sold at prices higher than the official minimum retail prices used for tax calculations.

    Under the proposed budget, the minimum retail price is set at Tk 62 ($0.50) per 10 sticks for low-tier cigarettes and Tk 92 ($0.75) for medium-tier products, while retailers commonly sell individual sticks at prices that translate to pack values of Tk 70 and Tk 100 ($0.57 and $0.81), respectively. Based on sales of 6,118 crore low- and medium-tier cigarette sticks in FY25, PPRC argues that the untaxed gap between official and actual prices represents a significant missed revenue opportunity.

    The organization said total tobacco tax collections have continued to rise, reaching about Tk 45,000 crore ($3.7 billion) in FY26, but contended that a substantial portion of price increases is being retained by tobacco companies rather than captured by the government through taxation. PPRC called for tobacco tax policies that better reflect market realities to strengthen revenue collection and public health outcomes.

  • Cambodians Uncover Two Counterfeit Cigarette Factories

    Cambodians Uncover Two Counterfeit Cigarette Factories

    Cambodian law enforcement authorities uncovered two counterfeit cigarette manufacturing facilities in Kandal province as part of a broader crackdown on organized crime and illicit activities. During raids conducted on June 22 in Svay Rolum and Setbo communes of Takhmao town, officers from the National Police General Commissariat and other agencies seized large quantities of counterfeit cigarettes bearing multiple brands.

    One of the factories was reportedly producing counterfeit versions of well-known international brands, including Marlboro, Winston, JPS Classic, Gold Mount, and Canyon. Five supervisors and workers were detained for questioning, while authorities confiscated evidence and sealed both facilities pending further legal proceedings. The discovery comes amid intensified efforts by Cambodian authorities to combat illicit manufacturing, smuggling and other large-scale criminal operations.

  • Taiwan Estimates More Than 40,000 Teenagers Vape

    Taiwan Estimates More Than 40,000 Teenagers Vape

    Taiwan health authorities estimate that more than 40,000 teenagers nationwide use vaping products, prompting calls for stronger enforcement measures and potential amendments to existing tobacco control laws. According to the Health Promotion Administration (HPA), 3.7% of Taiwanese adolescents use e-cigarettes or vapes, including 2.1% of junior high school students and 5.1% of senior high school and vocational school students.

    Officials expressed particular concern over the growing use of vaping devices to consume illicit substances such as etomidate, an anesthetic linked to an increase in drug-impaired driving incidents. HPA Deputy Director-General Wei Hsi-lun said current legislation provides limited authority to regulate vape users and confiscate devices, leading the agency to consider legal changes that could strengthen enforcement powers and increase penalties for users and distributors.