TobaccoReporter logo

Blog

  • RLX Releases CSR Report

    RLX Releases CSR Report

    RLX Technology presented its “Corporate Social Responsibility Report.” The report outlines the firm’s annual progress in fulfilling various corporate social responsibilities, including rural revitalization, product-related responsibility, corporate governance, environmental responsibility and employee responsibility.

    According to the report, as of 2023, RLX has invested a total of CNY44.3 million ($6.2 million) in areas such as biodiversity conservation and rural revitalization. By the end of April 2023, RLX had effectively generated approximately 120,000 employment opportunities along the supply chain and accumulated research and development investments totaling CNY800 million.

    Navigating the delicate balance between compliance and innovation is the most crucial challenge for RLX, according to a company press release. In pursuit of a first-class user experience, the company says it not only strictly adheres to regulatory requirements by developing products in line with national standards to ensure quality and safety but is also comprehensively upgrading its research and development system. This involves establishing eight major laboratory matrices and rigorous factory quality control to enhance product innovation. The report reveals that as of April 2023, RLX has applied for nearly 900 patents globally.

    From child-proof locks to anti-dry burn functions, each of the eight laboratories plays a specific role in developing products that meet both regulatory requirements and user-experience expectations. The Innovation Lab, for example, focuses on material purification and flavor perception, significantly reducing the risk of alterations to product taste and flavor. The Quality and Safety Lab conducts tests such as drop and negative pressure tests to ensure product stability in extreme environments. This lab has received accreditation from China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment.

    Since outlining its “1+4” scientific research path in 2020, RLX has initiated nearly 50 research projects to fill the gaps in the field of vape science. The report highlights several breakthrough achievements from the past year. In November 2022, the first domestic clinical study on electronic cigarettes initiated by RLX was published in the medical SCI journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research. By the end of April 2023, RLX had conducted 17 collaborative research projects, publishing 11 research papers in authoritative journals.

    “From 2022 to 2023, whether in the Chinese e-cigarette industry or at RLX Technology, it has been an extremely important period. We wholeheartedly respond to policies and actively address various changes, not only fulfilling strict compliance and providing reassuring products as ‘required actions’ but also contributing our modest efforts in ‘voluntary actions’ such as wildlife protection and rural revitalization to enhance social well-being,” said Kate Wang, founder and CEO of RLX.

  • QI Rejoins Cigar Association of America

    QI Rejoins Cigar Association of America

    Photo: Tobacco Reporter archive

    Quality Importers Trading Co. (QI) has rejoined the Cigar Association of America (CAA) after over a decade absence.

    CAA President David Ozgo stated, “Quality Importers Trading Co. is one of the world’s leading suppliers of the highest quality cigar accessories and accoutrement to the cigar trade. It is an honor and a privilege to be able [to] represent them as we advance sound public policies for the cigar sector in Washington, D.C., and the states.”

    Founded 24 years ago by Mike Giordano and based in Weston, Florida, USA, Quality Importers Trading Co. is a B2B product innovator, importer, distributor and representative to a network of manufacturers across the world, specializing in the areas of wooden ware, plastic injection molding, metal stamping and product packaging. QI’s core distribution businesses reside in cigar storage and packaging, home organization and warehouse packaging supplies.

    “Quality Importers products are used by premium cigar smokers worldwide, and it is important to us to continue to actively support the premium cigar industry,” said QI President and Chief Operating Officer Alex Goldman said. “I have worked with the CAA on and off since 1998 and have always valued the professionalism and level of support the organization provides. I am proud that QI has joined CAA as a supporting member and look forward to deepening our ties with the association and its member companies.”

    CAA is the leading national trade association representing manufacturers, distributors, importers, suppliers and all channels of retailers in the cigar industry and traces its roots back to the 1890s.

  • Mozambique Leaf Exports Down

    Mozambique Leaf Exports Down

    Photo: Taco Tuinstra

    Mozambique exported tobacco worth $49.4 million in the first nine months of 2023, a quarter less than in the previous year, reports Club Mozambique, citing central bank figures.

    According to the Bank of Mozambique, tobacco exports in the first three quarters of 2022 amounted to $66.4 million.

    Mozambique has the world’s eighth largest tobacco growing area, according to the World Health Organization. With tobacco cultivated over 91,469 hectares, Mozambique is third largest grower in the African region after Zimbabwe (112,770 hectares) and Malawi (100,962).

    Brazil, by comparison, cultivates, 357,230 hectares.

  • Imperial Adds Hamilton as Non-Exec. Director

    Imperial Adds Hamilton as Non-Exec. Director

    Image: Mariakray

    Julie Hamilton will join the board of Imperial Brands as a non-executive director upon conclusion of the company’s annual general meeting on Jan. 31, 2024.

    Hamilton, who was chief commercial and global sales officer at Diageo until August 2023, has over 30 years’ experience in marketing, strategy and digital transformation. Prior to Diageo, she spent 25 years at the Coca-Cola Co. where she held a range of leadership positions, including chief customer and commercial leadership officer.

    “Julie is an experienced global leader who brings deep knowledge of delivering commercial change in multinational consumer businesses,” said Imperial Brands Chair Thérèse Esperdy in a statement. “Her understanding of digital transformation and global brands will be invaluable to the board as it continues to oversee Imperial’s strategy and transformation.”

    Hamilton will also join the People and Governance Committee upon appointment.

  • AOI Brazil Invests in Seed Production

    AOI Brazil Invests in Seed Production

    Image: AOI

    Alliance One International has opened a seed industrialization unit at its Global Research, Development and Deployment Center in Passo do Sobrado, Brazil.

    Alliance One is a major supplier in Brazil’s tobacco seed market, with tobacco grown from the company’s varieties comprising approximately 40 percent of the tobacco produced in the country. According to AOI, the new seed industrialization unit positions the company for global growth as a leader in tobacco crop solutions with the ability to provide customers and farmers with best-in-class genetics.

    “Our new unit provides us with greater quality control of our seed products and makes it possible for all activities to be governed by our internal integrated quality management system,” said Helio Moura, vice president of global agronomy at Alliance One, in a statement. “Improved quality control opens doors to sell our seed in new markets at a faster speed, increases customer and farmer satisfaction, and drives efficiencies within our business.”

    According to AOI, the new equipment furthers the company’s efforts to combine cutting-edge technology with advanced agricultural practices to produce high-quality seeds for tobacco production. The machinery is designed to handle small seeds such as tobacco, a rare specification in various markets, and perform a range of essential seed processing functions including threshing, grading, upgrading, pelleting, drying and seed finishing. These capabilities help improve seed germination, stimulate healthy, consistent crop development and increase yield—key elements to improving farmer livelihoods and meeting customer volume requirements and specifications.  

    The unit has an annual processing capacity of nearly 2 metric tons and the ability to pelletize more than 200,000 cans of seed for sale each year. “The company’s global research, development and deployment center plays a fundamental role in promoting quality, productivity and sustainability in tobacco,” said Moura. “Our agronomic input packages are tested at the center before going to the field, positioning our Company to deliver extremely competitive genetics to the farmer.”

    Alliance One says its genetics promote higher quality, yield and disease resistance in tobacco crops and are proven to reduce the amount of crop inputs, such as crop protection agents, fertilizer and nutrients necessary for production. This reduction results in a lower cost of production for the farmer while driving forward a more sustainable industry.

    “Our strategy has allowed us to develop global solutions and approaches, respecting the culture and speed of each market, aiming to strengthen the future of and bring efficiency to our supply chain,” said Moura.

    AOI says it remains committed to the innovation of sustainable agriculture practices and driving advancements in the agriculture sector that will support farmers and customers across the globe.

  • Canada Rolls Out New Health Warnings

    Canada Rolls Out New Health Warnings

    Canada has started rolling out 14 new graphic health warnings on cigarette packs, reports Yahoo Finance.  Manufacturers must ensure the new labels are on packages by Jan. 31, and retailers are required to stock the packs by April 30, according to Health Canada.

    The new labels feature smoking-related illnesses such as tongue, stomach and neck cancer, as well as gangrene. Canada pioneered the concept of graphic health warnings in 2001 and has frequently updated its image library to prevent the pictures from losing their shock value.

    The latest set of photo warnings also build on various other harms of smoking, including heart attack, brain damage and death from stroke as well as impotence due to reduced blood flow to the penis.

    Another set of 14 photo warnings is expected to appear on cigarette packages in two years.

    Last year, the government also required cigarette manufacturers to print health warnings on individual cigarette sticks. Cigarettes now include messages, such as “poison in every puff,” in English and French.

    Canada aims to  slash smoking rates from about 10 percent to less than 5 percent by 2035.

  • Zimbabwe: Commercial Shisha Hectars Increase

    Zimbabwe: Commercial Shisha Hectars Increase

    Image: KPad

    Zimbabwe’s shisha flue-cured tobacco commercial production increased 270 percent to 407 hectares this season, according to Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) statistics, reports The Herald.

    Last year, 101,559 kg of shisha were marketed at an average of $3.15 per kilogram. It reached a high price of $5.40 per kilogram.

    Currently, Cavendish Lloyd is the only TIMB registered and licensed shisha merchant.

    “Consideration of the dreaded El Nino weather pattern led to farmers planting 407 hectares, a figure less than the planned over 500 this season,” said Tinashe Mukadzambo, Cavendish Lloyd CEO. “In our maiden commercial season last year, we did 110 hectares from 10 commercial growers.”

    More commercial, semi-commercial and small-scale growers, in addition to the 10 commercial growers, were added this year, said Mukadzambo.

    Tobacco Reporter profiled Cavendish Lloyd’s operations in its May 2022 print edition (see “Great Expectations”).

  • JTI Awarded Global Top Employer

    JTI Awarded Global Top Employer

    Image: Nuthawut

    Japan Tobacco International was certified Global Top Employer for the 10th year in a row.

    “This recognition acknowledges that our people are at the heart of everything we do and shows the progress we continue to make in improving our environment, caring about the well-being of our employees as well as our focus on diversity, equity and inclusion. Being awarded Top Employer 10 years in a row demonstrates to our future employees that JTI is a great place to work. This certification is a key component in attracting and retaining top talent,” said Guergana Andreeva, senior vice president of people and culture, in a statement.

    JTI is one of 17 companies to be honored with the Global Top Employer award. Eleven countries where JTI has a presence were ranked No. 1. Globally, JTI ensures that its employees and their families have best-in-class support thanks to its global family leave policy aiming to provide equal opportunities for both parents to spend time with their newborn, according to JTI.

    JTI has also implemented new flexible working measures, which allow employees to choose how, when and where they work, and with the help of the employee resource groups, the company provides great support to various underrepresented groups, including, but not limited to, supporting females in leadership roles and LGBTQ+ communities.

    “While we are very pleased to have received the Global Top Employer certification for the 10th consecutive year, we are even more delighted that the various initiatives we have put in place in our locations across the world have helped improve our employees’ well-being, job satisfaction and opportunities to continue to develop their careers. JTI was awarded the Top Employer certification thanks to its 46,000 employees of 119 different nationalities who set goals and commit to achieving them,” Andreeva added.

  • Egypt: Philip Morris Cleans Up Nile River

    Egypt: Philip Morris Cleans Up Nile River

    Image: spiritofamerica

    Philip Morris Misr organized a campaign to clean up the Nile River as part of its social responsibility initiatives, according to Daily News Egypt. The campaign aimed to raise awareness of the importance of protecting the Nile River from pollution and enhancing environmental sustainability.

    “Our corporate strategy is based on implementing and consolidating sustainability standards,” said Ali N. Karaman, managing director of Philip Morris Egypt and Levant. “We are committed to fulfilling our social responsibility by engaging in activities that serve the needs and requirements of the local communities. Philip Morris Misr is keen to organize annual events that promote environmental awareness.”

    The campaign included various activities to collect waste from the Nile River and educate people on proper waste disposal methods, aiming to highlight negative impacts of water pollution.

    Philip Morris has strengthened its commitment to environmental sustainability recently, with plans to make plants carbon neutral by 2030. Philip Morris has made steps toward this goal, installing wind turbines, solar panels and electric vehicle charging stations at its facilities and performing awareness activities on proper disposal of cigarettes.

  • Indonesia: Bentoel Delisted

    Indonesia: Bentoel Delisted

    Image: Yazid Nasuha

    Bentoel International Investama, BAT’s Indonesian unit, has officially been delisted from the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX), according to the Jakarta Globe. Bentoel has been listed on the IDX since 1990.

    “IDX approves the removal of the company’s securities listing on the stock exchange, effective on Tuesday,” the IDX announced. “If the company wishes to re-list its shares on the IDX, the process can be carried out under applicable regulations.”

    Bentoel Group has become the fourth-largest tobacco company in Indonesia, following Sampoerna, Gudang Garam and Djarum. The company produced local brands such as Bentoel Biru, Tali Jagat, Bintang Buana, Sejati, Neo Mild and Uno Mild.

    In the first six months of 2023, Bentoel’s revenues were IDR4.31 trillion ($275.5 million), a 27.37 percent increase from the previous year. Net profit in the first semester of 2023 was IDR35.49 billion, up 121.83 percent from the previous year period.