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  • Zimbabwe Tobacco Eyes Record Output, Concerned About China

    Zimbabwe Tobacco Eyes Record Output, Concerned About China

    Zimbabwe’s tobacco sector is moving toward another record year, projected to exceed 360,000 tons in output, up from 355,000 tons in 2025 and 306,000 tons in 2024, driven largely by contracted smallholder farmers working with foreign-backed agribusinesses, including Chinese-linked firms. According to the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board, planted acreage increased by 15% with more than 127,000 registered growers, around 95% of whom are smallholders and account for roughly 85% of total output. The sector has rebounded sharply from its 2008 collapse, when production fell to 48,000 tons following land reform disruptions.

    While contract farming has expanded access to inputs such as seed and fertilizer and supported export growth across roughly 60 global markets, growers and industry representatives report increasing concerns over debt exposure, fees, and pricing pressures under financing agreements, particularly within systems dominated by Chinese contractors, which account for around 60% of export value. Zimbabwe is also seeking to diversify export destinations and expand domestic cigarette manufacturing, which currently represents about 11% of output, as officials, including Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube, push for greater local value addition amid rising global scrutiny from public health and environmental groups, including the World Health Organization.

  • Pakistan’s Effective Enforcement Welcomed by PMI

    Pakistan’s Effective Enforcement Welcomed by PMI

    Philip Morris Pakistan Limited said it welcomed nationwide enforcement actions targeting the illicit cigarette trade, stating the crackdown would strengthen the documented economy, improve revenue recovery, and support fair competition for tax-compliant businesses. The company said enforcement operations during fiscal year 2025–26 led to seizures of illicit cigarettes and raw materials equivalent to about 17 billion sticks—estimated at nearly 40% of the illegal market—following strategic direction from Shehbaz Sharif to the Federal Board of Revenue and provincial authorities. During a recent visit to Pakistan, Marco Mariotti, president CIS and Central Asia at Philip Morris International, said sustained enforcement is critical for revenue collection and market compliance, noting illicit trade is estimated to cost Pakistan roughly Rs300 billion ($1.1 billion) annually.

  • Caloocan City Adopts Anti-Illicit Tobacco Ordinance

    Caloocan City Adopts Anti-Illicit Tobacco Ordinance

    Caloocan City, Philippines, enacted City Ordinance No. 1193, Series of 2026—the Anti-Illicit Tobacco Trade Ordinance—becoming the first local government unit in Metro Manila to formally prohibit the manufacture, distribution, and sale of tobacco products that do not comply with national regulations. Mayor Dale Gonzalo Malapitan said the measure targets cigarettes lacking Internal Revenue stamps, graphic health warnings, or those sold below government-mandated pricing, with penalties that include fines, business permit suspension or revocation, and imprisonment of up to one year. The city’s Business Permits and Licensing Office has been directed to enforce compliance among retailers.

    Orlando Oxales, convenor of CitizenWatch Philippines, called the move “strong and timely,” noting similar local actions this year in Mariveles, Bataan, and ongoing discussions in Davao City aimed at strengthening anti-illicit trade enforcement at the LGU level.

  • Swiss Groups Launch Passive Smoke Awareness Platform

    Swiss Groups Launch Passive Smoke Awareness Platform

    The Swiss Association for Tobacco Prevention and the Swiss Lung League launched Passivesmoke.ch, described as Switzerland’s “first national platform dedicated to the risks of passive smoking and vaping.” The initiative follows newly published “Health and Lifestyle” survey data from Addiction Switzerland, indicating rising nicotine product use among young people, with campaigners highlighting that 45% of 18–24-year-olds report using e-cigarettes, snus, nicotine pouches, or other products. The groups say unintentional exposure to smoke and vapor remains common in shared indoor spaces and communal housing.

    The organizations linked the launch to Switzerland’s continued refusal to ratify the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), noting that parliament in March declined ratification despite prior government support. Prevention advocates argue the platform is intended to refocus attention on secondhand exposure risks amid shifting consumption patterns toward vaping and oral nicotine products.

  • VB Distribution Appoints New CEO

    VB Distribution Appoints New CEO

    London-based VB Distribution (Vapes-Bars Ltd) appointed Natalia Gosciniak as Chief Executive Officer as part of an ongoing governance and corporate development program. Gosciniak, who has been involved in shaping the company’s strategic direction and governance framework, will oversee operations, organizational development, and commercial growth. She said the company is investing significantly in infrastructure and operations to support a more sustainable phase of expansion.

    As part of the transition, founder Adam Matliwala will become chairman, focusing on strategic oversight and long-term business development. VB Distribution supplies supermarket, wholesale, convenience, and independent retail partners, reporting more than 50,000 retail shelf placements across the UK and an annual turnover approaching £500 million. The company said the leadership change supports broader governance enhancements tied to its long-term corporate and public market ambitions.

  • Drew Estate Formalizes Innovation Department, Hires New Marketing VP

    Drew Estate Formalizes Innovation Department, Hires New Marketing VP

    Drew Estate’s Jonathan Drew Sann announced he will be filling the company’s newly created position of Chief Innovation Officer, keeping his duties as president of the company but stepping away from his role heading the marketing department. He simultaneously announced the hiring of Andrew Duncan as senior vice president of marketing.

    Sann said the company will now formally recognize an innovation department, which will focus on expanding the company’s business portfolio “around its core strengths in brand development, disruption, and consumer engagement.” The company cited recent initiatives, including the Drew Dominicana factory in the Dominican Republic and the J.Sann & Son retail division, as examples of projects emerging from this effort. CEO Glenn Wolfson said the move is intended to position Sann to focus on long-term strategic and cultural development for the company.

    Duncan joins the company from The Sazerac Company, where he served as global head of brand marketing for the company’s bourbon and American whiskey portfolio, and previously held senior marketing roles at Procter & Gamble. At Drew Estate, Duncan will oversee brand management, consumer engagement, digital marketing, and global creative, and will work with Sann to support the commercialization of innovation initiatives.

  • CBP Seizes $175M in Illicit Vapes from Maritime Cargo

    CBP Seizes $175M in Illicit Vapes from Maritime Cargo

    The U.S. Customs and Border Protection, working with the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, announced that it has seized more than 18 million vape units valued at over $175 million over the last few weeks under a targeted initiative known as Operation Red Mist. The ongoing operation focuses primarily on maritime cargo shipments originating from the People’s Republic of China and is aimed at disrupting the illicit importation, transport, and distribution of unauthorized vape products and related hazardous components.

    According to CBP, inspection teams identified shipments that were misclassified or improperly labeled to evade detection, duties, and regulatory scrutiny, and that failed to meet U.S. import requirements for tobacco products, electronics, and hazardous materials transport. Officials said all e-cigarette products seized lacked the required FDA premarket authorization, making them illegal for sale in the United States. CBP said the operation reflects a broader, government-wide effort to keep noncompliant and potentially dangerous vaping products out of U.S. commerce and away from youth, while disrupting the revenue streams that often support broader criminal activity.

    Source: U.S. Customs and Border Protection

  • Mancuso Takes Reins of Altria After Annual Meeting

    Mancuso Takes Reins of Altria After Annual Meeting

    Altria Group, Inc. held its 2026 Annual Meeting of Shareholders today (May 14), where outgoing CEO Billy Gifford addressed shareholder questions and highlighted company priorities. Following the meeting, Sal Mancuso formally succeeded Gifford as chief executive officer, marking a planned leadership transition announced at the end of 2025 after Gifford’s more than 30-year career with the Altria family of companies. Gifford said Mancuso’s decades of leadership experience, including service as chief financial officer, position him well to lead the company forward. A copy of the presentation and a replay of the webcast are available on Altria’s website.

    Shareholders elected all 10 board nominees to one-year terms, ratified the selection of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as Altria’s independent registered public accounting firm for 2026, and approved executive compensation on an advisory basis. Following the meeting, Altria’s board declared a regular quarterly dividend of $1.06 per share, payable July 10, to shareholders of record as of June 15, with the same date serving as the ex-dividend date. Final voting results will be disclosed in a forthcoming Form 8-K filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

  • Hong Kong Customs Busts $1.5M Illicit Cigarette Ring

    Hong Kong Customs Busts $1.5M Illicit Cigarette Ring

    The Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department arrested three people following a months-long investigation into an illicit cigarette distribution and money laundering syndicate that led to the seizure of about 2.2 million untaxed cigarettes and HK$11.3 million ($1.5 million) in suspected criminal proceeds. The case stems from a January raid on a remote warehouse in Ngau Tam Mei, where investigators discovered the cigarettes—valued at HK$9.9 million ($1.3 million)—along with detailed records documenting brands, storage dates, and volumes.

    A follow-up financial probe found that one of the suspects used his own bank accounts, as well as those of his girlfriend, to process payments from customers buying illicit cigarettes, while a third suspect is believed to have supplied the products. Investigators identified thousands of transactions between 2021 and 2025 involving more than 1,000 third parties, with rapid fund movements and low balances characteristic of money laundering activity. The suspects have been released on bail pending further investigation. Under Hong Kong law, trafficking illicit cigarettes carries penalties of up to HK$2 million ($260,000) in fines and seven years’ imprisonment, while money laundering convictions can bring fines of up to HK$5 million ($650,000) and 14 years in prison.

  • FDA Makes ENDS PMTA Roundtable Materials Available

    FDA Makes ENDS PMTA Roundtable Materials Available

    Today (May 14), FDA released materials from its Feb. 10 Roundtable on Premarket Tobacco Application Submissions for Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems Products, providing the public and industry with a detailed look at discussions between agency officials and small manufacturers. Led by Dr. Matthew Farrelly and moderated by Dr. Todd Cecil, the sessions focused heavily on product characterization, manufacturing controls, pharmacological and toxicological data, and how applicants can demonstrate adult benefit through longitudinal or randomized studies. FDA said the purpose of the roundtable was to solicit feedback on how to improve the efficiency and clarity of PMTA reviews while remaining bound by statutory requirements under the Tobacco Control Act.

    Industry participants used the forum to reiterate concerns about the lack of objective scientific benchmarks guiding ENDS applications, arguing that uncertainty around testing parameters—particularly for open-system products—and the inability to update long-pending PMTAs create significant barriers for small businesses. The Vapor Technology Association, through Executive Director Tony Abboud, said members appreciated the opportunity for dialogue but left the meeting seeking clearer standards and more predictable regulatory expectations.

    Find the FDA’s resources below:

    FDA ENDS Roundtable Hub

    FDA ENDS Roundtable Video

    FDA ENDS Roundtable Transcript