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Category: News This Week

  • Procigar Opens 2026 Registration

    Procigar Opens 2026 Registration

    The Association of the Dominican Cigar Manufacturers announced that registration is open for the 18th Procigar Festival 2026 will be held February 15—20, 2026. Combining educational opportunities, entertainment, and access to numerous exclusive premium cigars, the Festival promotes the Dominican tobacco industry and its position as “exporters of the finest premium cigars in the world.”

    The festival is broken into two parts, with the first portion taking place Feb 15—17 in La Romana and the second portion taking place Feb 17—20 in Santiago. Registration packages begin at $2,500 and include transportation around the island, tours, meals, and a goodie bag, but not airfare or hotel expenses.

    Click here for more information.

  • USPS Blocks National Vape Distributor

    USPS Blocks National Vape Distributor

    Today (August 11), Reuters reported that the U.S. Postal Service has blocked New York-based vape distributor Demand Vape from using its services after evidence showed the company was shipping unregulated e-cigarettes lacking FDA approval and violating local flavor bans. This crackdown, prompted by New York City’s Law Department, targets unregulated vape shipments and further tightens restrictions on the multi-billion-dollar industry. Only 39 vape products currently have FDA authorization, and USPS is reviewing other distributors’ mailing privileges.

    “Unregulated vapes lack the authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that is required for them to be legally sold in the United States, the world’s largest market for smoking alternatives,” Emma Rumney wrote for Reuters. “USPS revoked Demand Vape’s mailing exception last month after it received evidence the company shipped vapes lacking FDA authorization and that violated a local flavor ban, a letter from USPS to the company, dated July 15, showed.”

    Demand Vape said it complied with relevant laws and was contesting the revocation, adding the industry operates in a “regulatory grey zone” with only a small number of FDA-authorised products that do not meet consumer demand.

    “We reject any characterization that paints Demand Vape as anything other than a transparent, lawful, and reputable business,” it said in a statement.

    USPS did not respond to a request for comment.

  • PCA Appoints Ricardo Carioni as Director of International Affairs & Education

    PCA Appoints Ricardo Carioni as Director of International Affairs & Education

    Today (August 11), the Premium Cigar Association (PCA) announced the appointment of Ricardo Carioni as its new director of international affairs and education. “This position signals the PCA’s continued commitment to advancing premium cigar advocacy, education, and global engagement,” the organization said in a press release.

    Carioni’s career spans over 18 years across seven countries, where he has lived and worked in senior roles. He served as head of development at Casa Turrent, chief operating officer of Tor Imports—the leading premium cigar distributor in Great Britain—and CEO of Gesinta, Spain’s foremost distributor of premium cigars. He is also the co-founder of The Cigar Academy, an educational institution that fosters knowledge and appreciation of premium cigars. He is also a former deputy ambassador and official representative of Nicaragua to the United Nations Maritime Organization, and worked for several multilateral institutions in the coffee, sugar, and cocoa sectors.

    “Ricardo is a catalyst who brings a ton of energy and passion to any project,” said says Joshua Habursky, executive director of the PCA. “His expertise will allow the PCA to refine existing projects and help service our growing membership ranks. He will be working in a versatile role to help grow membership outside of the United States, create programs for U.S. retailers in the Caribbean Basin, and develop universal education programs for all membership categories.”

  • Zimbabwe: Push for Local Participation, More Tobacco Processing

    Zimbabwe: Push for Local Participation, More Tobacco Processing

    Industry experts are calling for a more inclusive and diversified tobacco sector in Zimbabwe, urging greater opportunities for small-scale indigenous players in value addition and exports.

    Speaking at the 2025 Tobacco Conference, Mutandwa Mutasa, from the Zimbabwe Progressive Tobacco Farmers Association, said the industry remains dominated by foreign companies, with locals largely excluded from lucrative processing and manufacturing stages. He proposed measures including indigenous export quotas, government-backed production guarantees, and mandatory sourcing of tobacco volumes through local companies. Mutasa also called for more indigenous professionals in key industry roles.

    While land reform has expanded primary production to nearly 150,000 farmers, 90% of Zimbabwe’s tobacco is still exported semi-processed, with most profits captured abroad. Experts say a strong indigenization roadmap is needed to secure a larger share of the value chain for local players.

  • Philippines Warns Against Deadly ‘Tuklaw’ Cigarettes

    Philippines Warns Against Deadly ‘Tuklaw’ Cigarettes

    The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and Dangerous Drugs Board warned the public to avoid “tuklaw,” or black cigarettes, after reports of teenagers suffering seizure-like symptoms.

    Tests show the product contains nicotine levels up to 9% and synthetic cannabinoids, which can trigger psychosis and hallucinations. PDEA chief Isagani Nerez said tuklaw, believed to originate from Vietnam’s “thuoc lao” tobacco, is being smuggled into the country and sold online.

    Authorities plan to work with health agencies and law enforcement to curb its spread.

  • Pakistani Tobacco Growers Struggle to Sell Surplus Crop

    Pakistani Tobacco Growers Struggle to Sell Surplus Crop

    Tobacco farmers in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Swabi district are enduring three to four days in open-air queues to sell flue-cured Virginia tobacco to multinational companies, as a surplus crop creates a buyers’ bottleneck.

    While those with purchase agreements secure better prices, many growers without contracts are left waiting with no guaranteed sale. Officials estimate this year’s production at over 100 million kilograms, 20 million kg above the announced combined demand declared by 80 purchasing companies. Farmers say selling to smaller national buyers often means delayed payments, sometimes for months or years. A parliamentary sub-committee will visit tobacco-growing districts to address the crisis, which follows crop losses from hail and storms.

    Last fiscal year, the federal government collected Rs300 billion ($1.1 billion) in taxes from the sector, mostly from two multinational firms, Pakistan Tobacco Company and Philip Morris International, raising concerns about market imbalance and buyer accountability.

  • Nigeria Urged to Double Tobacco Tax

    Nigeria Urged to Double Tobacco Tax

    Nigerian advocacy group CAPPA has urged the government to raise excise taxes on tobacco products to 100%, saying the move could save thousands of lives and recover ₦526 billion ($347 million) annually in health and productivity losses.

    CAPPA said the tobacco industry continues to target youths with cigarettes, vapes, and e-cigarettes despite nearly 30,000 tobacco-related deaths a year. The group called for swift action on a delayed 50% tax proposal and alignment with stronger tobacco controls seen in other African countries.

  • Malaysia Moving Toward Vape Ban

    Malaysia Moving Toward Vape Ban

    Malaysian Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said he will present an expert committee’s recommendation to ban electronic cigarettes and vape to the Cabinet once its study is complete. He said the move is “no longer a matter of if” and follows the enforcement of the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024, which has cut the number of smoking product variants in the market by nearly 60%.

    “With strict enforcement, I am confident we can effectively regulate cigarette and vape sales,” Dzulkefly said. “Most importantly, we must protect non-adults, students, and our children from exposure to vape. The Act will be enforced firmly to regulate all smoking products, including vape, for public health.”

  • Canopy Growth Q1 Revenue Jumps on Strong Cannabis Sales

    Canopy Growth Q1 Revenue Jumps on Strong Cannabis Sales

    Canopy Growth Corp. posted a 9% Y-Y revenue increase to $72.1M in Q1 FY2026, driven by a 43% surge in Canada adult-use cannabis sales and strong demand for new products, including Claybourne infused pre-rolls. The company achieved $17M of its planned $20M in annualized savings, cutting SG&A expenses by 21%. Gross margin fell to 25% from 35%, hurt by lower Storz & Bickel vaporizer sales and a shift toward higher-cost cannabis products.

    International cannabis revenue rose 4% to $9M, with supply chain upgrades expected to boost European margins later this year. Canopy plans to launch a new Storz & Bickel vaporizer in the second half of 2025.

    Net loss from continuing operations narrowed 21% to $23M, while adjusted EBITDA loss widened to $8M.

  • Hank Mozingo, Retired Tobacco Associates President, Passes Away at 57

    Hank Mozingo, Retired Tobacco Associates President, Passes Away at 57

    Henry “Hank” Mozingo, the esteemed retired president of Tobacco Associates, Inc., and a respected figure in the U.S. flue-cured tobacco industry, passed away. His passing was announced by Corporate Secretary Veronica Martins and the Tobacco Associates Board of Directors, expressing deep sadness at the loss of a leader who left an indelible mark on the organization and the livelihoods of U.S. growers.

    Mozingo’s career with Tobacco Associates spanned over three decades, beginning in 1990 with his first trip to Korea. He dedicated himself to expanding markets for U.S. flue-cured tobacco, fostering relationships with industry leaders, and promoting the quality of American leaf globally. His vision led to the development of new brands in several countries, including “Türkiye”, Taiwan, Korea, Thailand, Hungary, Jerusalem, the Philippines, and Vietnam. Notably, Mozingo was the first U.S. tobacco official to visit VINATABA after the normalization of U.S.-Vietnam relations in 1995.

    Mozingo is remembered by colleagues as a gentle, honorable, and unwavering individual who treated those he worked with as family.

    A Celebration of Life will be held  August 10, at 3 p.m. at Calvary Baptist Church, 134 S Peace Haven Rd, Winston-Salem, North Carolina. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made via the family’s GoFundMe, which will support the local Humane Society and establish a scholarship in Mozingo’s name at his alma mater, James Madison University.