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  • PMI U.S. Launching Campaign Around Zyn’s ‘Click’

    PMI U.S. Launching Campaign Around Zyn’s ‘Click’

    Philip Morris International’s U.S. businesses are launching “When It Clicks,” a national Zyn brand campaign built around the sound of the nicotine pouch’s signature click and the idea of staying present in everyday moments. Following a soft launch this summer, the campaign will scale nationally in the fourth quarter across point-of-sale, digital, out-of-home, and cultural events targeting legal-age adult nicotine consumers.

    The campaign will be introduced to retailers and distributors at the National Association of Convenience Stores Show in October, followed by activations spanning music, entertainment, sports, and art. Zyn also plans to launch limited-edition metal cases featuring artwork from American and U.S.-based artists in the fourth quarter; the accessories will not contain nicotine pouches.

  • ALP Partners with Matchroom Boxing in European Expansion

    ALP Partners with Matchroom Boxing in European Expansion

    ALP has been named the Official Nicotine Pouch Partner of Matchroom Boxing as the brand expands into European markets. The partnership begins Sept. 5 at Dublin’s Croke Park, where Katie Taylor will face Flora Pili for the undisputed super lightweight championship, and includes exclusive category rights at three major Matchroom events, with additional appearances at Whittaker vs. Wallace in Birmingham on Oct. 3 and Smith vs. Puello in Sheffield on Oct. 24. ALP launched in the U.K., Ireland, and nine other European markets in July and has also partnered with UFC champion Conor McGregor. The company said the Matchroom deal is its first major partnership in the U.K. and Ireland.

  • Davidoff Leaves ProCigar

    Davidoff Leaves ProCigar

    Davidoff has ended its 34-year membership in ProCigar, the Dominican Republic’s main cigar manufacturers’ organization, saying its decision reflects a shift toward focusing resources on global priorities and regulatory challenges across its 130 markets, according to Halfwheel. The company’s Dominican operation, Tabadom Holding, was a founding member of ProCigar, but Davidoff said it will continue working directly with Dominican authorities to support the sustainable growth of the cigar industry.

    The departure leaves ProCigar with 11 full members. The company’s participation in the 2026 ProCigar Festival had already been reduced, although neither Davidoff nor ProCigar identified a specific event behind the decision.

  • Hungary Emerging as Key Link in EU’s Illegal Cigarette Trade 

    Hungary Emerging as Key Link in EU’s Illegal Cigarette Trade 

    Hungary is emerging as an important production hub in Europe’s illegal cigarette trade, according to a recent investigation by French broadcaster TF1, which visited clandestine factories previously dismantled by Hungary’s National Tax and Customs Administration (NAV). The report found that criminal groups are operating sophisticated production facilities capable of manufacturing hundreds of thousands of cigarettes, using industrial equipment, specialized logistics, and extensive networks to move products into Western Europe. NAV has recently seized large quantities of tobacco, counterfeit cigarettes, and manufacturing equipment, including a 2025 operation that confiscated 156 tons of tobacco and more than 1 million packs of counterfeit cigarettes.  

    The investigation comes as Europe’s illicit cigarette market remains substantial. KPMG estimates that 41.8 billion illegal cigarettes were consumed in the EU in 2025, representing 10.3% of total consumption and an estimated €16.7 billion in lost tax revenue. France was the largest illicit market, with about 20.5 billion illegal cigarettes consumed, while TF1 identified Eastern Europe, particularly Hungary, as an important source of supply. KPMG data also indicate that counterfeit production is becoming more prominent, with Hungary among the countries recording large volumes seized in factory raids.  

    NAV has also reported a 2026 operation targeting a Hungarian illegal factory linked to a cross-border criminal organization, underscoring the continuing challenge of dismantling networks that combine manufacturing, storage, transport, and sales across multiple European markets. 

  • UKVIA Launches Campaign to Preserve Vaping 

    UKVIA Launches Campaign to Preserve Vaping 

    The UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) launched its “Enough is Enough” campaign alongside its 10-point “Fair Deal for Vaping,” calling for a more proportionate approach to vaping regulation. The campaign urges the UK government to crack down on youth access and illicit traders while preserving vaping as an alternative for adult smokers. UKVIA is particularly challenging upcoming measures including plain packaging, tighter flavor and display restrictions, a planned advertising and sponsorship ban, and the Vaping Products Duty taking effect Oct. 1 at 22p ($0.30) per milliliter, which it says could significantly increase prices. 

    The campaign calls for measures including accelerated retail licensing, tougher penalties for rogue traders, continued access to adult flavors, factual communication with adult consumers, and a review of the new vaping duty. UKVIA is encouraging adult vapers, former smokers, and their families to contact MPs and share their experiences, arguing that increasingly restrictive policies could discourage smokers from switching and fuel illicit trade. 

  • Investigative Article Focuses on Chen Zhi and Cuba’s Struggling Cigar Market  

    Investigative Article Focuses on Chen Zhi and Cuba’s Struggling Cigar Market  

    Today (Sept. 3), Financial Times published investigative journalist Jack Adamović Davies’ article “The mystery tycoon, his fall from grace, and the Cuban cigar market”, detailing how a combination of aggressive price hikes and illicit corporate financing transformed the global Cuban cigar industry.  

    Davies centers the investigation on Chen Zhi, a Cambodian-Chinese tycoon who secretly acquired a massive stake in Cuba’s cigar marketing giant, Habanos, after Imperial Tobacco sold its share in 2020. Chen used his influence and Habanos’s prestige to build credibility among global elites, while Habanos drastically increased prices to target wealthy Asian buyers and boost revenues. However, Chen’s empire unraveled when U.S. and UK authorities sanctioned him for running vast transnational fraud operations, leading to his extradition to China in early 2026 and the liquidation of his business assets, including his Habanos holdings. 

    Beyond Chen’s downfall, Davies highlights how Cuba’s tobacco monopoly is now facing severe long-term fallout. Decades of underinvestment in production, coupled with skyrocketing prices and recent geopolitical blockades, have alienated traditional cigar enthusiasts. As a result, retailers and consumers are increasingly turning to modernized “New World” competitors in the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and Honduras, threatening Cuba’s historic dominance in the cigar trade. 

  • Australia’s Coalition Looking to Stop Illicit Tobacco, Gangs 

    Australia’s Coalition Looking to Stop Illicit Tobacco, Gangs 

    Australia’s opposition Coalition has unveiled a plan to tackle the country’s illicit tobacco and vape trade by cutting tobacco excise by 80% and committing A$200 million ($140 million) to a nationwide law-enforcement crackdown. The Coalition estimates organized crime groups make A$4.1 billion to A$6.9 billion ($2.9 billion to $4.8 billion) annually from illicit tobacco, with proceeds funding drug trafficking, scams, money laundering, and violence. Opposition Leader Angus Taylor said the plan would attack criminal gangs by narrowing the price gap between legal and illegal cigarettes while strengthening efforts to shut illegal retailers, intercept shipments, and trace criminal finances. 

    The proposal would cut excise on a standard 20-pack from about A$30 to just over A$6 ($21 to $4.20) and legalize, regulate, and tax vapes and nicotine pouches for adults. The Coalition says illicit tobacco now accounts for about 80% of consumption and 95.7% of e-cigarettes sold are illegal, arguing current restrictions have pushed consumers toward criminal suppliers. It also proposes A$60 million ($42 million) for public education and says Parliamentary Budget Office modelling indicates the package could improve the budget balance by about A$8 billion ($5.6 billion) over four years and more than A$20 billion ($14 billion) over a decade. 

  • Altria Sues FDA Over Product Review System 

    Altria Sues FDA Over Product Review System 

    Altria announced that it has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. FDA in federal court, seeking to force the agency to overhaul its tobacco product review system, which the company says has become a major barrier to growth in the U.S. market. Altria argues that lengthy review delays, including applications remaining pending for years, disadvantage compliant manufacturers while unauthorized products continue to gain market share. 

    The lawsuit is the latest industry challenge to the FDA’s premarket review regime, which requires new tobacco products to demonstrate a net public health benefit before sale. Altria says the agency has failed to meet the statutory 180-day review deadline and argues that recent FDA changes—including a fast-track pathway for nicotine pouches—still have not resolved the backlog. 

  • Reynolds Defends Policy Advocacy Amid Wyden’s Probe 

    Reynolds Defends Policy Advocacy Amid Wyden’s Probe 

    Reynolds American Inc. announced that it has responded to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) regarding an inquiry into tobacco industry influence over flavored e-cigarette regulations. The probe examines a $5 million corporate donation to a pro-Trump super PAC, MAGA Inc., which occurred shortly before the Trump administration scaled back a planned ban on flavored vapor products. Wyden questioned whether the political contribution directly swayed executive policy decisions. 

    In its official response, Reynolds defended its advocacy for reduced-risk products while rejecting the pay-to-play allegations. A company spokesperson emphasized that Reynolds remains committed to providing adult smokers with non-combustible alternatives. The manufacturer maintained that responsibly marketed flavored vapor options serve as vital harm-reduction tools to help consumers transition away from traditional cigarettes. 

    Addressing youth vaping concerns, Reynolds highlighted its strict retail compliance framework. The company stated that its commercial strategy relies heavily on robust underage-access controls, including mandatory ID scanning at point-of-sale locations. Reynolds reiterated its commitment to federal regulatory frameworks, asserting that it can balance adult consumer access with strong protections against youth initiation. 

  • Indonesia Looking to Bring Illegal Cigarettes Into Fold 

    Indonesia Looking to Bring Illegal Cigarettes Into Fold 

    Indonesian Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa said he had met with several illegal cigarette business owners to understand their concerns and discuss bringing them into the legal tobacco-excise system. The government is preparing an additional cigarette excise tier that Purbaya hopes will give illegal producers a pathway to legalize their operations. He said businesses that take the opportunity would be brought into the formal system, while those that continue operating illegally would face enforcement. 

    Civil-society groups argue that creating another excise tier will not necessarily persuade illegal producers to comply and could further complicate Indonesia’s already complex cigarette tax structure, which currently has eight bands. Critics also warn that a new, potentially cheaper cigarette category could expand the availability of low-priced cigarettes, increase consumption, and ultimately raise health-care costs.