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Category: Around the Industry

  • JTI Launches Lemon-Flavored Cigarillo in UK

    JTI Launches Lemon-Flavored Cigarillo in UK

    Today (July 1), JTI launched its Sterling Dual Capsule Xtra Yellow, a UK-first lemon-flavored cigarillo. In addition to the existing peppermint capsule, the product features a lemon capsule in the filter that users can click to release flavor. This adds a new, popular flavor to the brand that JTI says already holds a 93.6% share (£14 million per month) of the UK cigarillo market.

    “JTI is committed to supporting retailers by meeting consumer demand with innovative products like Sterling Dual Capsule Xtra Yellow,” said Lisa Anderson, marketing director at JTI UK.

    Sterling Dual Capsule Xtra Yellow retails for a suggested £6.95 for a 10-stick pack, and JTI offers retailers an introductory 20% profit on return wholesale.

  • Cuba’s Habanos Depending More on Machine-Made Cigars

    Cuba’s Habanos Depending More on Machine-Made Cigars

    Habanos S.A., Cuba’s premium cigar exporter, is increasingly leaning on machine-made cigars produced at the Internacional Cubana de Tabacos (ICT) factory in Havana, according to The Havana Times. Though lacking the prestige of hand-rolled cigars, these products generated $38 million in revenue in 2024, part of Habanos S.A.’s record $827 million annual earnings.

    The factory, a joint venture with Spain’s Tabacalera, runs 64 machines and operates three shifts daily, producing up to 800,000 cigars a day to meet global demand under the Cohiba, Partagás, Montecristo, and Romeo y Julieta brands.

    Industry insiders acknowledge that Habanos’ luxury clientele won’t abandon premium hand-rolled cigars. Yet for now, machine-made alternatives are helping cushion the blow from Cuba’s deepening agricultural and infrastructure crisis, according to the newspaper.

  • AIR Unveils First Sustainability Report and Roadmap

    AIR Unveils First Sustainability Report and Roadmap

    Advanced Inhalation Rituals (AIR) published its inaugural sustainability report, detailing a long-term strategy focused on public health, innovation, and environmental and social responsibility. The report positions AIR as a pioneer in tobacco- and nicotine-free shisha alternatives, highlighting major milestones such as the launch of Zodiac, a tea-based inhalation product, and OOKA, what the company says is the “world’s first pod-based, charcoal-free shisha device,” with over 14,500 devices and 500,000 pods sold to date.

    AIR’s new 2030 Roadmap, aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, centers on five ESG (environmental, social, and governance) pillars: public health and innovation, working conditions, business integrity, environmental impact (notably water usage), and governance. The roadmap includes goals like improving gender diversity in leadership, strengthening supply chain standards, and increasing public education around harm reduction.

    “This report celebrates the huge progress we have already made in optimizing all aspects of our operations, but we are also aware that we have a responsibility to accelerate our ESG efforts over the coming years to protect the world around us,” AIR CEO Stuart Brazier said. “As the global leader in our industry, our purpose is to transform the sector by creating a safer, cleaner, and more sustainable inhalation experience whilst also preserving the rich social and cultural value of shisha.”

    The full report is available at www.air.global.

  • USTC Appoints Garofolo as CFO

    USTC Appoints Garofolo as CFO

    U.S. Tobacco Cooperative Inc. (USTC) announced the appointment of Phil Garofolo as its new Chief Financial Officer, effective today (June 30). Garofolo has more than 18 years of experience in financial leadership across the global agricultural and manufacturing sectors. He most recently served as senior vice president of finance and Chief Accounting Officer at Pyxus International, where he led major transformations across finance, internal audit, tax, risk, and insurance, securing $2.6 billion in funding across business cycles.

    Garofolo’s prior roles include senior financial leadership positions at PowerTeam Services (now Artera) and EY, advising on IPOs, M&A, restructurings, and international compliance in agriculture, life sciences, and infrastructure.

    “Phil brings the rare combination of financial rigor, operational insight, and strategic vision,” said Ron Radloff, president and CEO of USTC. “His leadership will help drive efficiency and transparency across our operations while reinforcing our cooperative’s commitment to delivering value to our members and customers globally.”

  • Former Davidoff Exec Joins Maya Selva

    Former Davidoff Exec Joins Maya Selva

    Luc Hyvernat, who recently served as Oettinger Davidoff AG’s senior vice president and Chief Commercial Officer, has joined Maya Selva Cigars as the company’s new executive vice president, according to Halfwheel.

    “Described as ‘an epicurean at heart and a strategist in action,’ Hyvernat will help the Franco-Honduran cigar manufacturer write a new chapter in its story, fueled by a passion for handmade cigars, respect for tradition and audacity in innovation,” Patrick Lagreid wrote.

    Prior to joining Oettinger Davidoff AG in March 2021, Hyvernat was the international director for Centre Vinicole Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte. He has also spent more than two decades in the tobacco industry through various roles at Altadis, Imperial Brands, and SEITA.

  • Philip Morris Pushes for Arbitration in Washington MSA Dispute

    Philip Morris Pushes for Arbitration in Washington MSA Dispute

    Philip Morris USA (PM USA) urged a King County Superior Court judge in Washington State to compel arbitration in its dispute with R.J. Reynolds (RJR) and other tobacco companies. The conflict centers on longstanding disagreements over the annual Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) payments to the state.

    RJR and fellow plaintiffs claim PM USA aims to derail a separate 2025 settlement signed between RJR and Washington by attempting to enforce an arbitration clause dating back to a 2017 agreement. They argue PM USA is improperly interfering in a deal it is not directly part of.

    This week, in response, PM USA submitted a motion to compel arbitration, asserting that RJR and the other defendants are bound by the 2017 arbitration clause and that the court must defer to this private resolution mechanism. The outcome of this procedural motion could significantly influence the future of tobacco payment disputes under the MSA—either moving them out of public courtrooms or keeping them subject to private arbitration panels.

  • Elfbar and Lost Mary Touting 281-Point Safety Testing Protocols

    Elfbar and Lost Mary Touting 281-Point Safety Testing Protocols

    The same week a report was released by UC Davis saying several large vape brands released more toxic metals than traditional cigarettes, Elfbar and Lost Mary announced a major expansion of their product safety measures, claiming they now follow an extensive 281-point testing protocol, including 142 tests on e-liquids, 22 on aerosols, 86 on device materials, and 31 reliability assessments.

    The brands reported completing 11,637 in-house tests in May 2025, following more than 120,000 tests conducted throughout 2024, with all products routinely tested to ensure compliance with UK, EU TPD, and AFNOR standards. “This comprehensive safety upgrade underscores both brands’ commitment to innovation and consumer protection in the vape market,” the companies said in a release.

  • 22nd Century Targets Q4 to Have 100mm VLN to FDA

    22nd Century Targets Q4 to Have 100mm VLN to FDA

    22nd Century Group, Inc. announced “Operation 100,” a new initiative to develop a 100mm version of its VLN reduced-nicotine cigarettes, targeting FDA submission by Q4 2025. The product will complement the company’s existing 84mm king-size VLN cigarettes, the only FDA-authorized combustible cigarettes with reduced nicotine content.

    VLN cigarettes contain 95% less nicotine and are designed to help smokers reduce consumption and dependence. CEO Larry Firestone emphasized that offering VLN in familiar formats increases adoption and aligns with smokers’ preferences.

    If approved, the new 100mm VLN products would be sold under both the company’s own brand and partner labels such as Smoker Friendly and Pinnacle, expanding reach to the nearly 50% of U.S. smokers who prefer 100mm cigarettes.

  • FDA Issues Reminder to Update Tobacco Product Listings

    FDA Issues Reminder to Update Tobacco Product Listings

    Twice every year – by June 30 and Dec. 31 – registered tobacco product manufacturers are required to report to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration their tobacco product listings if they have made certain changes, the FDA reminded in a statement.

    If a manufacturer made any of the following changes, they must be reported:

    • Introduced any tobacco products for commercial distribution that were not included in a previous listing;
    • Discontinued manufacturing, preparation, compounding, or processing any tobacco products for commercial distribution;
    • Resumed manufacturing, preparation, compounding, or processing any tobacco products previously listed as discontinued; or
    • Made any required or voluntary material change to any listing information previously submitted, such as a name, labeling, consumer information, or advertisement changes.

    Information previously submitted to FDA should not be resubmitted.

    Updates can be submitted using the new “Tobacco Registration and Listing Module Next Generation (TRLM NG).”  If you are unable to submit online using TRLM NG, you can mail the appropriate Registration & Listing PDF form (FDA Form 3741) or, for deemed establishments, (FDA Form 3741a) to CTP’s Document Control Center.

    For resources on product listing submissions, go to the Tobacco Registration and Product Listing – Next Generation (TRLM NG) Instructions page. Manufacturers can also read the Registration and Product Listing for Owners and Operators of Domestic Product Establishments page for more information. 

  • Dominican Cigar Production Tops 8 Billion Units

    Dominican Cigar Production Tops 8 Billion Units

    The Dominican Republic remains the world’s top exporter of cigars, producing over 8.4 billion cigars each year, according to Iván Hernández Guzmán, director of the Dominican Tobacco Institute (Intabaco). Of this total, more than 181 million are handcrafted, while over 8.2 billion are made using machinery.

    Speaking at the Dominican Cigar Expo 2025 in Santiago, Hernández Guzmán highlighted tobacco’s vital role in the national economy, saying the industry contributes 10% of the country’s exports and generates more than $1.34 billion annually—second only to gold. It is the largest employer in free trade zones, creating over 40,000 jobs in that sector and more than 110,000 jobs nationwide. There are 160 tobacco-processing companies across 15 provinces, yielding over 330,000 quintals of tobacco each year.  

    For its premium cigar exports, 88% go to the United States and 10% to the European Union.