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Category: News This Week

  • Eastern Company Caps Cig Prices After Egypt Ups Taxes

    Eastern Company Caps Cig Prices After Egypt Ups Taxes

    Eastern Company announced that beginning today (July 1), prices for the Egyptian cigarette maker will be capped at EGP 45 ($0.90) per pack following recent tax bracket changes. Company CEO Hany Aman said the company had reached the upper limit of the previous tax bracket, and maintaining those prices was causing losses as rising raw material and transportation costs significantly increased production expenses.

    The new tax laws cap the lowest-tier cigarettes at EGP 48 ($0.96) and the mid-tier at EGP 69 ($1.38). Previously, the lowest tier retailed for EGP 38 ($0.76) per pack, with 60-65% of the price collected being tax. This past weekend, the government amended the Value Added Tax (VAT) on cigarettes, which will increase the minimum and maximum retail prices by 12% annually for three years starting in November.

    Sales were paused on Sunday and Monday to adjust pricing, with the new rates taking effect on Tuesday. Aman said the company is still assessing the full impact of the updated tax regulations and may provide further updates soon.

  • Long-Standing Greek Tobacco Practice Now Criminal

    Long-Standing Greek Tobacco Practice Now Criminal

    Beginning today (July 1), Greece is implementing new restrictions to curb youth access to tobacco and alcohol, with Health Minister Adonis Georgiades announcing that the sale of tobacco products to minors will now carry criminal penalties. Under the new law, adults will be banned from sending minors to purchase cigarettes, a long-standing practice in the country.

    “We are making a very strict bill to protect our minors from both alcohol and tobacco,” Georgiades said. “The kiosk attendant, to give a packet of cigarettes to someone, must ask for identification and establish that they are an adult – otherwise they are criminally liable.”

    The new legislation, soon to be published in the Official Gazette, also includes a 16-gram cap on the nicotine levels in tobacco pouches. Some products were recently found to contain as much as 70 grams of nicotine.

  • Thai Police Raid Illicit Vape Facility

    Thai Police Raid Illicit Vape Facility

    Thai police raided a large-scale illegal e-cigarette manufacturing facility this past weekend in the Khu Khot subdistrict, seizing more than 21,000 e-cigarette devices and arresting 29 suspects. Officers stormed a three-story commercial building in Lam Luk Ka district, Pathum Thani Province, which had been transformed into a covert production hub. Behind the main office and worker accommodation, police discovered a sprawling three to four rai (4,800 to 6,400 square meters) factory producing disposable and refillable e-cigarettes.

    Police confiscated 6.1 million baht ($189,000) of illegal products, along with assembly tools, sealing machines, and e-liquid filling equipment. Authorities said the factory began illegal production in early 2025, and had recently begun transitioning from disposable to refillable models, and was in the process of installing a conveyor-belt system to boost output.

  • Cook Islands Looking to Raise Tobacco Taxes 30%

    Cook Islands Looking to Raise Tobacco Taxes 30%

    The Cook Islands Cabinet approved a 30% increase in tobacco taxes, aiming to “curb high smoking rates and reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases across the country.” Backed by the Ministry of Health and Te Marae Ora, the island’s main healthcare provider, the new policy will raise tobacco taxes by NZ$125.50 ($76.56) per 1,000 cigarettes or per kilogram of tobacco each year for the next three years. Beginning in 2028, an additional 5% annual increase will be added.

    If passed in Parliament, the tax hike would drive up the average price of a 20-pack of cigarettes from NZ$26.88 ($16.40) to NZ$35.54 ($21.68) by July 2027.

    According to the 2022 STEPS health survey, 35.5% of Cook Islands adults aged 25–64 smoke, including 44% of men between the ages of 18 and 44.

  • Illinois Raises Taxes on All Tobacco and Nicotine Products

    Illinois Raises Taxes on All Tobacco and Nicotine Products

    Several new Illinois tax increases take effect today (July 1), including for gasoline, sports bets, and tobacco and nicotine products. The state is attempting to raise $30 million in new revenue.

    The tax on tobacco and nicotine products other than cigarettes, including vapes, pouches, and cigars, will increase to 45% across the board, regardless of the previous tax rate. Tobacco retailers will also see their annual license fee double, going from $75 to $150 per year.

  • 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.

  • BAT COO Says Korea Key to Smokeless Expansion

    BAT COO Says Korea Key to Smokeless Expansion

    British American Tobacco (BAT) said it is focusing on South Korea as a strategic hub for its global smokeless transformation, citing the country’s tech-savvy consumers, dynamic regulatory landscape, and innovation-driven ecosystem. BAT Group Chief Operating Officer Johan Vandermeulen said Korea plays a vital role beyond sales, acting as a testing ground for the company’s next-generation products, during an interview with The Korea Herald.

    “Korea offers a unique blend of sophisticated consumers, cutting-edge technology, and a dynamic regulatory environment that makes it an ideal testing ground for our next-generation products,” said Vandermeulen.

    Vandermeulen called the company’s Sacheon facility “one of the best” in the global BAT network, and said with Korea now the second-largest heated tobacco market in the world (behind Japan), BAT is accelerating investments in product innovation, localization, and advanced manufacturing. BAT is also expanding its vapor brand VUSE in Korea with strict ingredient and marketing standards, while eyeing future opportunities for nicotine pouches, its fastest-growing category globally.

    Vandermeulen emphasized that tobacco harm reduction, responsible marketing, and clear, fair regulation are central to the company’s vision, but warned about the dangers of illicit vaping products, which he said undermine public trust and legitimate efforts.

    “We believe vaping has a vital role in encouraging adult smokers, who would otherwise continue smoking, to switch completely to smokeless alternatives,” Vandermeulen said. “But the category can only thrive if market order is preserved.”

  • Cuban Tobacco Hit Hard by Power Outages

    Cuban Tobacco Hit Hard by Power Outages

    Chronic power outages have severely impacted “all tobacco varieties” in Cuba’s prized sector, particularly in Consolación del Sur, Pinar del Río—one of the country’s leading growing regions, according to local newspaper Guerrillero. According to local officials, 385 hectares of tobacco crops were lost this season due to electricity shortages, mainly affecting irrigation.

    The area planted was already reduced to 1,500 hectares, and total production is now expected to hit just 1,301 tons, far below the 1,778-ton target. Director of the local Integrated Tobacco Company, Mario Luis Zamora, estimates the harvest will yield only 79% of the planned cured bundles.

    While efforts are underway to recover, with over 1,000 curing barns built for next season, the fragility of Cuba’s electrical grid casts doubt over a strong rebound.

  • Pakistan’s Largest Tobacco Growing Region Suffers Huge Storm Damage

    Pakistan’s Largest Tobacco Growing Region Suffers Huge Storm Damage

    Nearly 60% of the Virginia tobacco crop in Pakistan’s Swabi district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has reportedly been badly damaged by a thunderstorm, according to local farmers. The damage occurred at a critical harvesting stage, rendering the affected leaves unsuitable for curing, which has deeply impacted growers’ livelihoods.

    “Once the tobacco plant falls to the ground, its leaves are no longer useful for curing, causing growers huge losses,” said Safdar Khan, a farmer from the Maneri Bala village, adding that the government didn’t come to their aid after being struck by a natural calamity.

    Swabi produces about 53% of KP’s tobacco output, with an estimated 15,500 hectares planted, last year producing about 42 million kg.

    “Due to the damage to our crop, we are stuck in an economic quagmire, and there is no one to help us,” said local grower Baswar Khan.