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Category: Around the Industry

  • Middle East Tensions Impacting Tobacco Supply Chains

    Middle East Tensions Impacting Tobacco Supply Chains

    Military actions involving Iran will likely disrupt regional logistics and industrial activity across the Persian Gulf, raising concerns about potential impacts on global cigarette and cigar supply chains, according to sources cited by Russian outlet Izvestia and analysts at the Centre for Macroeconomic Analysis and Short-Term Forecasting. The report notes that seven Gulf countries — Qatar, the UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Kuwait — account for over 20% of global tobacco exports, with countries such as Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Singapore, Thailand, and several African markets relying on imports from the region.

    Analyst Vladimir Chernov of Freedom Finance Global said any shortages could raise prices and delay deliveries, but may be mitigated by shifting production and supply routes to other regions. He added that broader supply chain effects could extend to packaging, chemicals, and industrial inputs, while creating potential export opportunities for Russia in sectors such as fertilizers and petrochemicals.

  • FDA Wins Default Judgment Against NC Vape Distributor

    FDA Wins Default Judgment Against NC Vape Distributor

    A federal judge granted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration a default judgment against a North Carolina vape distributor accused of importing and selling unauthorized flavored e-cigarettes from China. The ruling allows the FDA to seek a judgment permanently barring the company from importing, marketing, or distributing the products cited in the complaint after the defendant failed to respond to the lawsuit.

    Because the defendants did not appear, they are not publicly posted in the docket entries. However, in September 2025, the FDA filed a complaint against North Carolina-based distributor Dream Distro LLC and its owner, Faisal A. Alhadrami.  

  • Advocates Call to Merge Bangladesh’s Multi-Tier Cig Structure

    Advocates Call to Merge Bangladesh’s Multi-Tier Cig Structure

    At a workshop hosted by the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh today (April 9), journalists and public health advocates called for setting the minimum retail price of a 10-stick cigarette pack at Tk100 ($0.82) in the FY2026–27 budget by merging the low and medium tax tiers and introducing a uniform Tk4 (3 cents) specific tax per pack.

    A keynote by Dr. Shafiun Nahin Shimul of the University of Dhaka said Bangladesh’s 35.3% tobacco use prevalence leads to nearly 200,000 premature deaths annually and an economic cost of Tk870 billion ($7.1 billion), more than double sector revenue. Speakers, including representatives from the National Tobacco Control Cell and health researchers, argued the current multi-tier tax structure enables down-trading to cheaper brands and said higher prices could reduce youth initiation, encourage cessation, and raise government revenue.

  • Vape Firms Ask NC Court to Keep ‘Sealed Container’ Ruling

    Vape Firms Ask NC Court to Keep ‘Sealed Container’ Ruling

    A vape distributor and retailer have asked the North Carolina Supreme Court to uphold an appellate decision that cleared them of liability in a lawsuit stemming from an exploding vape battery, arguing the lower court correctly applied the state’s “sealed container” defense. The doctrine shields sellers from product-liability claims when they sell goods in their original, unopened packaging without altering them.

    AMV Holdings LLC and Medusa Distribution LLC say the North Carolina Court of Appeals properly found they could not be held responsible for an alleged defect in a product they neither manufactured nor modified. The plaintiff is seeking to overturn that ruling, contending the defense should not apply in this case.

  • Dutch Retailers Keep Selling Illegal Vapes Despite Fines

    Dutch Retailers Keep Selling Illegal Vapes Despite Fines

    Hundreds of retailers across the Netherlands continue selling illegal flavored vapes and supplying minors despite repeated penalties, according to reporting by RTL Nieuws based on enforcement data from the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority. Records show 244 businesses were fined at least twice over four years, with 72 receiving five fines and six racking up 10 or more; one seller was issued a 14th fine during an inspection observed by reporters and said stopping sales was “not worth it.”

    Inspectors say nearly half of vape checks ended in a fine or warning, but current penalties — ranging from €1,360 for a first offense to a maximum cumulative €22,500 — are failing to deter persistent violators. Administrative law professor Herman Bröring of the University of Groningen told RTL the system is “not working well enough,” while NVWA officials acknowledged sellers are increasingly hiding stock to evade checks as the agency adapts its inspection tactics.

  • Indonesia Proposes Vape Ban Over Narcotics Concerns

    Indonesia Proposes Vape Ban Over Narcotics Concerns

    Indonesia’s National Narcotics Agency (BNN) proposed a nationwide ban on electronic cigarettes and vape liquids as part of revisions to the country’s narcotics and psychotropic substances bill, citing evidence that vaping devices are being used to distribute illicit drugs. BNN chief Suyudi Ario Seto told lawmakers that lab tests on 341 vape liquid samples found synthetic cannabinoids in 11 samples, methamphetamine in one, and etomidate in 23. He said existing health regulations carry lighter penalties, limiting enforcement effectiveness.

    Seto noted that several ASEAN countries — including Singapore and Thailand — already prohibit vapes, arguing that banning the devices in Indonesia would help curb the spread of new psychoactive substances, 175 of which are already present in the country.

  • ‘Made in America’ Claims Rise as Brands Navigate Crackdown

    ‘Made in America’ Claims Rise as Brands Navigate Crackdown

    A Reuters investigation reports a growing wave of vape brands promoting “Made in America” credentials as the U.S. market faces tougher enforcement against unlicensed products, particularly those linked to Chinese manufacturers. The article says at least eight new brands have emerged since October, emphasizing U.S. identity, despite lacking authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which has approved only a limited number of vaping products for sale.

    According to the report, trademark filings show some of these brands are tied to Chinese or Hong Kong interests, suggesting the marketing shift may be aimed at avoiding scrutiny from customs officials amid heightened trade tensions and regulatory pressure under the administration of Donald Trump. Analysts cited by Reuters say the tactic could slow efforts to push consumers from the illicit to the regulated vape market.

    The story also highlights that China remains the dominant supplier of vapes to the U.S., with trade data showing exports worth over $4 billion in 2025, even as companies experiment with partial U.S. production or American-themed branding to adapt to tariffs, enforcement actions, and changing consumer perceptions.

  • RJR Seeks to Block Lawyer’s Live Testimony in Altria Dispute

    RJR Seeks to Block Lawyer’s Live Testimony in Altria Dispute

    R.J. Reynolds Vapor Co. asked a North Carolina court to quash a trial subpoena that would require one of its in-house attorneys to testify in person at an evidentiary hearing in an ongoing royalty dispute with Altria Group. The company argues that a previously recorded deposition of the attorney should suffice, saying live testimony would be unnecessary and burdensome.

    The dispute centers on royalty obligations tied to vaping technology and agreements between the rival firms. Reynolds maintains that compelling its lawyer to appear would intrude on privileged matters and exceed what is needed for the court to assess the evidentiary issues. The matter is before a judge in North Carolina, who will decide whether the deposition recording can replace in-court testimony.

    Source: Law 360 (pay)

  • Polish Officers Seize 223,000 Illegal Vapes

    Polish Officers Seize 223,000 Illegal Vapes

    Officers from the National Tax Administration in Łódź seized 223,688 disposable e-cigarettes without excise stamps during a raid on a property near Zgierz. The devices contained a combined 447 liters of e-liquid, with the market value of the goods estimated at over PLN 473,000 ($128,000).

    Authorities said the scale of the illegal stock exposed the state to potential excise losses exceeding PLN 10.2 million ($2.8 million), given Poland’s current excise rate. The goods were allegedly stored by a 49-year-old man, who has been charged with a serious fiscal crime and potentially faces 10 years in prison.

  • Ukraine Moves to Ban Nicotine Pouch Sales to Minors

    Ukraine Moves to Ban Nicotine Pouch Sales to Minors

    Ukraine is preparing to tighten regulation of nicotine pouches through draft law No. 14110-d, which would ban their sale to minors and limit advertising, according to Mykhailo Radutskyi, head of the parliamentary health committee. He said current anti-tobacco laws, aligned with European directives, do not adequately cover newer nicotine products such as pouches and snus, leaving gaps in rules on sales and promotion.

    The proposal, developed by the health committee of the Verkhovna Rada, also addresses broader issues, including enforcement against e-cigarette components entering the market, and pending requirements for larger health warnings on cigarette packs. Radutskyi cited rising tobacco use, particularly among youth, as a key reason to update the legislation.