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Category: Around the Industry

  • UK Vape Display Crackdown Could Cost Businesses £61M

    UK Vape Display Crackdown Could Cost Businesses £61M

    A planned UK crackdown on the display and packaging of vaping and nicotine products could cost businesses up to £61 million, according to a government impact assessment. More than 11,000 retailers, including convenience stores, supermarkets, and wholesalers, are expected to be affected by requirements to keep vape products and related items out of sight and introduce plain packaging.

    The assessment estimates that restocking and removing products could cost businesses about £48 million, while new storage units could add nearly £3 million, and staff familiarization with the new rules around £313,000. The Scottish Grocers Federation warned that additional regulation could increase costs for compliant retailers without sufficiently addressing illicit sales. The Federation of Small Businesses said it supports the public health objectives but called for measures that are proportionate and workable. The government said it believes there is a clear public health rationale for restricting the display of vaping and nicotine products.

  • Ireland Weighs Cigarette Tax Increase in 2027 Budget

    Ireland Weighs Cigarette Tax Increase in 2027 Budget

    Ireland’s coalition government is considering another increase in cigarette prices for Budget 2027, with reports that the price of a 20-pack could rise from €19.50 to €20. The proposed increase would follow combined cigarette tax increases of €3.25 over the past five years.

    Budget 2027 is scheduled to be presented in October, with ministers currently considering potential measures. While cigarette excise duties are expected to rise, the government is reportedly planning to leave alcohol excise duties unchanged.

  • Dutch Regulator Rules on PMI’s EU Consultation Campaign

    Dutch Regulator Rules on PMI’s EU Consultation Campaign

    The Netherlands’ advertising standards watchdog, the Reclame Code Commissie (RCC), found that a Philip Morris campaign encouraging public input into the EU’s tobacco-rules review fell within the scope of the country’s tobacco advertising ban.  The campaign invited people to submit comments to the European Commission opposing tighter EU rules on tobacco and nicotine products. An investigation by NOS and Pointer reported that Philip Morris used an AI tool to generate hundreds of responses presented as individual citizens’ views.

    The RCC said the campaign had a commercial character because the AI text generator was developed and paid for by Philip Morris, and that the generated responses portrayed alternative tobacco products positively. The watchdog concluded that presenting the activity as public consultation did not remove it from the scope of the advertising ban. Doctors and health organizations had filed a complaint over the campaign in June, while Philip Morris said it was contributing to the public debate.

  • Malaysian Group Calls for Access to Public Cigarette Registry

    Malaysian Group Calls for Access to Public Cigarette Registry

    Malaysian public policy startup Wawasanex has urged the Health Ministry to make its registry of legally registered cigarette brands publicly accessible, arguing that consumers and legitimate retailers need an official way to distinguish legal products from illicit cigarettes. The group said the registry is already required under the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024 and could be published online without new legislation.

    Wawasanex’s call follows Royal Malaysian Customs’ seizure of RM1.3 billion ($312 million) in illicit goods during the first half of 2026, a 22% increase from 2025, with illicit cigarettes accounting for the largest share of cases. The group’s May 2026 nationwide survey found 99% of respondents said illegal cigarettes were easy or very easy to obtain. Wawasanex said it has written to the Health Ministry but has not received a response, and argued that publicly listing registered brands could complement enforcement efforts by giving consumers and retailers a means to verify products.

  • Wyden Seeks Records Over Donations and Policy Changes

    Wyden Seeks Records Over Donations and Policy Changes

    Sen. Ron Wyden, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, launched an investigation seeking documents related to what he alleges are potential links between political donations from the tobacco and kratom industries and subsequent Trump administration policy decisions, according to the International Business Times. In letters sent to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Reynolds American, and other parties, Wyden requested records concerning regulatory actions affecting flavored e-cigarettes and kratom products.

    According to Wyden’s letters, Reynolds American donated $5 million to the pro-Trump political action committee MAGA Inc. in April, followed by a meeting between a company executive and President Donald Trump. Wyden alleges the timing raises questions about whether later policy changes, including actions affecting flavored vaping products, were influenced by industry interests. The letters also raise concerns about Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s reported financial interest in kratom company Botanic Tonics while advocating policies related to the sector. Wyden requested responses by Aug. 31.

    The letters contain allegations only, and no evidence of wrongdoing has been established. Reynolds American, Botanic Tonics, and the Department of Health and Human Services have disputed or declined to comment on the allegations.

  • UAE Sets Minimum Excise Price for E-Liquids

    UAE Sets Minimum Excise Price for E-Liquids

    The United Arab Emirates will introduce a minimum excise price of AED1 ($0.27) per milliliter for liquids used in electronic smoking devices beginning Sept. 1, as part of efforts to strengthen enforcement of the country’s excise tax system. The Ministry of Finance said the measure is designed to improve tax compliance and ensure consistent standards across tobacco and electronic smoking products.

    The new rule does not change the UAE’s existing 100% excise tax rate on tobacco products but establishes a minimum price threshold for calculating excise tax on e-liquids. Minimum excise prices for cigarettes, waterpipe tobacco and other tobacco products will remain unchanged.

  • Philippines Customs Battling Seized-Cigarette Theft

    Philippines Customs Battling Seized-Cigarette Theft

    The Philippines’ Bureau of Customs adopted a one-strike policy for personnel caught stealing or improperly handling confiscated cigarettes, following reports of attempts to divert seized tobacco products. Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno said employees found violating the policy will be immediately removed from service and face administrative, civil, and criminal proceedings.

    Under the directive, seized cigarettes cannot be transferred, relocated, or disposed of without the commissioner’s written approval. Nepomuceno also ordered the BOC’s Internal Administration Group to recommend stronger safeguards for confiscated tobacco products at ports, emphasizing that the goods are critical evidence in the agency’s efforts to combat illicit trade and protect government revenue.

  • Ohio Weighs Authority to Enforce Illegal Vape Sales

    Ohio Weighs Authority to Enforce Illegal Vape Sales

    The Ohio Supreme Court heard arguments over whether the state can use its consumer protection laws to take action against retailers selling unauthorized flavored e-cigarettes, a case that could define the extent of state authority alongside federal tobacco regulation. The lawsuits, originally filed in 2024 against several Ohio tobacco retailers, allege the stores sold flavored vaping products that lacked U.S. FDA marketing authorization.

    Retailers argued that enforcement of federal tobacco marketing laws rests exclusively with the FDA, while Ohio officials contended the state has the authority to protect consumers from illegal product sales. The case comes as Ohio also awaits a separate Supreme Court ruling on whether cities can enforce their own flavored tobacco restrictions after the state enacted a law preempting local regulations.

  • Industry Leader Jimmy Hill Dies at 89

    Industry Leader Jimmy Hill Dies at 89

    James “Jimmy” Hill Jr., a longtime North Carolina tobacco grower and respected industry leader, died July 31 at the age of 89. Hill began his career as an agronomist with British American Tobacco and later Philip Morris International, working in Argentina, Colombia, and Venezuela before returning to North Carolina to lead Tull Hill Farms for nearly five decades. Throughout his career, he held leadership roles with the U.S. Tobacco Cooperative, the Flue-Cured Tobacco Stabilization Corporation, and the North Carolina Growers Association, and was appointed by President Bill Clinton to the Presidential Tobacco Commission, where he contributed to the 2004 Tobacco Buyout.

    Hill was widely recognized for his contributions to U.S. agriculture and tobacco, receiving North Carolina State University’s Outstanding Alumnus Award in 2006 and being named Lenoir County Citizen of the Year in 2009. In a tribute, Tobacco Associates Executive Director Kimberly Foley praised Hill’s unwavering support for U.S. tobacco farmers and his commitment to strengthening the industry’s global competitiveness, describing him as a mentor whose leadership and knowledge influenced generations. Funeral services are scheduled for Aug. 8 in Lenoir County, North Carolina.

  • EU Tobacco Use Falls to 16.5% in 2025

    EU Tobacco Use Falls to 16.5% in 2025

    Daily use of tobacco and related nicotine products in the European Union declined to 16.5% of people aged 16 and older in 2025, down from 17.5% in 2022, according to new Eurostat data. Men continued to use tobacco and nicotine products at higher rates than women (20.8% versus 12.6%), while adults aged 35-49 recorded the highest daily use at 21.3%. More than three-quarters (77.5%) of EU residents reported not using tobacco or related products—including e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches and heated tobacco products—during the previous 12 months.

    Among member states, Bulgaria (26.3%), Sweden (23.9%) and Croatia (23.6%) recorded the highest rates of daily use, while the Netherlands (9.9%), Ireland (11.7%), Belgium (13.6%) and Luxembourg (13.8%) had the lowest. Daily use declined in 17 EU countries between 2022 and 2025, with the largest reductions in Spain and Luxembourg, while Croatia and Lithuania posted the biggest increases.