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  • EPP Accused of Being Tobacco ‘Mouthpiece’ Ahead of Vote

    EPP Accused of Being Tobacco ‘Mouthpiece’ Ahead of Vote

    An article published by Euractiv today (June 16) reports that the European People’s Party (EPP), the largest group in the European Parliament, is facing criticism from public health organizations and political opponents ahead of a key vote on EU tobacco policy, with critics accusing the party of advancing positions aligned with the tobacco industry. The dispute centers on the European Commission’s ongoing review of the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD), including potential new rules for nicotine pouches, vaping products and other reduced-risk alternatives.

    According to Euractiv, health advocates argue the EPP has opposed stricter restrictions on newer nicotine products, while the EPP maintains that regulation should be evidence-based and account for harm reduction. The debate comes as the EU considers significant revisions to tobacco and nicotine regulations that could affect product availability, taxation and market access across the bloc.

  • N.C. Politicians Call for Relief for Tobacco Farmers

    N.C. Politicians Call for Relief for Tobacco Farmers

    Members of North Carolina’s congressional delegation, led by Representative Don Davis (D-NC1) and Senator Thom Tillis (R), urged congressional appropriators to include tobacco producers in any future agricultural disaster relief package. The lawmakers cited an analysis from North Carolina State University showing tobacco production costs rose about 30% between 2021 and 2025, from $4,148 per acre to $5,398 per acre, compared with an 18% increase across U.S. agriculture overall.

    The letter argues that rising input and labor costs, weakened export demand, drought conditions, and lower commodity prices have placed significant financial pressure on tobacco growers and should be considered when determining eligibility for future farm assistance programs.

  • Kentucky Tobacco Farm Gets DOL Reprieve Over Visa Enforcement

    Kentucky Tobacco Farm Gets DOL Reprieve Over Visa Enforcement

    Triple R Farms, a tobacco farm in Kentucky, obtained a pause in Department of Labor administrative proceedings while the U.S. Supreme Court considers broader questions about federal agencies’ use of in-house administrative law judges (ALJs). The case stems from allegations that the farm violated H-2A temporary agricultural worker program requirements involving wages, recordkeeping, and worker housing, with the Labor Department seeking roughly $70,000 in penalties.

    Triple R Farms argues that the government cannot impose such penalties through an administrative proceeding and that the case should instead be heard in an Article III federal court before a jury. The dispute is part of a wider wave of legal challenges to federal agency enforcement powers following recent court rulings that have increased scrutiny of administrative adjudication systems used by regulators.

  • Pakistani Tob. Growers Call to End Export Tax

    Pakistani Tob. Growers Call to End Export Tax

    Tobacco growers, traders, and industry representatives in Pakistan called for the immediate withdrawal of the Rs390 ($1.40) per kilogram tobacco export tax and a broader review of sector taxation, arguing current policies are reducing farmer incomes and export competitiveness. Speaking alongside political leaders including Asad Qaiser, industry representatives said government revenue from the sector had fallen from Rs294 billion ($1.1 billion) to Rs165 billion ($594 million) following higher taxes, while tobacco prices paid to growers were reportedly around Rs180 ($0.65) per kilogram lower than a year earlier.

    The group also opposed a proposed minimum indicative price of Rs525 ($1.89) per kilogram for Virginia tobacco in the 2026-27 budget, called for a third tobacco tax tier to support domestic manufacturers, and urged authorities to ease regulatory pressure on growers, dealers and exporters.

  • NACS Calls for Fact-Based Approach in EU Tob. Directive Review

    NACS Calls for Fact-Based Approach in EU Tob. Directive Review

    The National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) urged European Union policymakers to conduct a comprehensive socio-economic assessment before revising the Tobacco Products Directive, warning that poorly assessed regulatory changes could increase illicit trade, reduce tax revenues, and harm small retailers. The group noted that Europe’s convenience retail sector comprises more than 684,000 outlets generating more than €250 billion in annual revenue, while an estimated 38.9 billion illicit cigarettes are consumed across the EU each year, resulting in approximately €11.6 billion in lost tax revenue.

    NACS called for greater consideration of impacts on small- and medium-sized enterprises, employment, and supply chains, and urged policymakers to fully evaluate illicit trade risks before implementing further tobacco regulation changes.

  • ABF Announces $1.3M Illicit Tobacco Seizure

    ABF Announces $1.3M Illicit Tobacco Seizure

    The Australian Border Force released details of a major illicit tobacco and vape seizure in Darwin that confiscated 433,400 illicit cigarettes, 686 kg of loose-leaf tobacco, and 50,200 disposable vapes, preventing an estimated A$1.8 million ($1.3 million) in evaded duty and disrupting potential criminal proceeds valued at A$3.7 million ($2.6 million). Officers executed warrants on May 28 as part of Operation GOALFENCE.

    The operation, supported by the Detector Dog Unit, follows another Northern Territory seizure earlier this month involving more than 100,000 cigarettes and 39 kg of loose-leaf tobacco intercepted through the international mail stream. The ABF said the action targeted organized criminal supply chains linked to the illicit tobacco and vape market.

  • LA Passes Two Tobacco, Vape Bills

    LA Passes Two Tobacco, Vape Bills

    Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry signed two tobacco and vapor product bills that strengthen retail restrictions and supply-chain oversight. House Bill 302 prohibits the issuance of vapor product retail permits within 300 feet of schools, while allowing regulators flexibility in how the distance is measured.

    House Bill 623 establishes a new three-tier permitting system separating manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers of tobacco and vapor products, limiting cross-ownership between tiers and requiring retailers to source products only from licensed Louisiana wholesalers. The law also mandates that tobacco and vapor products move through a regulated manufacturer-to-wholesaler-to-retailer supply chain, restricts direct-to-consumer shipments by out-of-state sellers without a Louisiana wholesale permit, and creates a digital chain-of-custody tracking system to monitor product transfers, tax compliance, and product movement throughout the market.

  • Haypp Announces Zyn Ultra Launch Across U.S.  

    Haypp Announces Zyn Ultra Launch Across U.S.  

    Haypp Group announced that Zyn Ultra nicotine pouches are available through its U.S. online retailers, Nicokick.com and Northerner.com, as of June 15. The new Zyn format contains 20 pouches per can, compared with 15 in the flagship lineup, and will initially launch in 9 mg strength across eight flavors, with an 11 mg range scheduled to follow later in June. Haypp said the rollout expands its portfolio of more than 300 nicotine pouch products and follows the resumption of direct-supplied Zyn sales in the U.S. in September 2025.

  • Man Arrested in Indonesia for Running Labubu Vape Ring

    Man Arrested in Indonesia for Running Labubu Vape Ring

    Authorities in Indonesia arrested a Singaporean national in Medan, Indonesia, for allegedly operating an illicit vape production and distribution network that generated an estimated 10 billion rupiah ($565,000) in profits since 2025. Police said the suspect coordinated production of vape products packaged with Labubu branding from Thailand, supplied raw materials from China, and used cryptocurrency transactions to conceal financial flows. A raid on the operation’s production site in Medan resulted in the seizure of 862 vape cartridge tubes, dozens of vape liquid bottles, and more than 10,500 branded vape packages. One Indonesian accomplice was arrested, while a third suspect remains at large.

  • Korea Signals Tobacco Policy Overhaul, Price Increases

    Korea Signals Tobacco Policy Overhaul, Price Increases

    South Korean Health Minister Jung Eun-kyeong signaled a broader review of tobacco control policies, citing relatively low cigarette prices, growing use of e-cigarettes, flavored tobacco products and synthetic nicotine, and the need for both price and non-price measures. Cigarette prices have remained at 4,500 won ($2.97) per pack since 2015, well below the OECD average level of 9,869 won ($6.51) referenced in the government’s 2026–2030 National Health Promotion Plan.

    While Jung stressed that an immediate tax increase is not under active consideration, she said tobacco pricing, advertising restrictions, and other regulatory measures would be reviewed as part of a new anti-smoking strategy aligned with changing market conditions and public health objectives.