Korea Philip Morris said it will expand retail availability of its new “Electric Purple” color for the IQOS Iluma i One to major convenience stores nationwide from May 2. The color, first introduced on April 10 through the official IQOS online store and nine branded outlets, features a deep purple tone with a bluish tint. To mark the wider rollout, the company will run a promotion through May 20 a discounted price in the 30,000-won ($19.80) range for its devices in all colors.
Category: News This Week
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PMI Releases Value Report 2025, Sets Value Plan 2030+
Philip Morris International released its Value Report 2025, marking the completion of its 2025 Roadmap and introducing a new Value Plan 2030+ to guide future growth. The report outlines progress in PMI’s shift toward smoke-free products and details performance across business transformation, environmental, and social metrics. In 2025, PMI reported around 43.5 million adult users of its smoke-free products across 106 markets, with smoke-free net revenues reaching $16.9 billion, representing 41.5% of total annual net revenues.
The company also reported 98% coverage of shipment volumes with youth access prevention programs in indirect retail channels, 91% coverage with anti-littering programs for cigarette butts, and 76% of employees having access to structured lifelong learning opportunities. Among agricultural metrics, PMI said 99.6% of contracted farmers supplying tobacco achieved a living income, while 99.3% of tobacco purchased was at no risk of net deforestation. PMI reported a 46% reduction in absolute Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions compared with 2019 and a 31% reduction in Scope 3 Forest, Land, and Agriculture emissions compared with 2010.
PMI said its Value Plan 2030+ will focus on six priorities: consumers and product health impact, circularity, climate change, nature and biodiversity, its workforce, and workers across its value chain. The company stated the report was prepared with reference to Global Reporting Initiative standards and guidance from the International Sustainability Standards Board.
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Bangladesh Reversing Vape Ban
Bangladesh is preparing amendments to its anti-tobacco ordinance that would withdraw the ban on the production, import, sale, and use of e-cigarettes and other electronic nicotine delivery systems, and remove restrictions on displaying tobacco products at points of sale. The ordinance, approved in December 2025 by the interim government, expanded the definition of tobacco products and introduced penalties for activities involving e-cigarettes, vapes, heated tobacco products, and similar devices. These included jail terms, fines, seizure of goods, and possible license revocation for companies.
The proposed changes follow recommendations from a parliamentary special committee reviewing 133 ordinances, with the health ministry drafting amendments to omit the relevant provisions for submission to the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division. Health Secretary Md Quamruzzaman Chowdhury said the ministry would act in accordance with the committee’s recommendations regarding the ordinances under its jurisdiction.
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Geekvape Introduces New Products in Paris
Geekvape introduced several new products at Vapexpo Paris, including the Force device and the Aegis Mini 5, expanding its performance-focused and durability-oriented portfolio. The company also highlighted the Legend 5 10th Anniversary Edition within its Aegis series, alongside Neutra, a refillable system designed with environmental considerations. The launches were presented within a “Future Store Experience” concept booth that reflected Geekvape’s updated retail visual identity and integrated product display with sustainability themes.
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Organigram Shares Results of AGM, Gains Approval for Sanity Acquisition
Shareholders of Organigram Global Inc. overwhelmingly approved the company’s proposed acquisition of Germany-based Sanity Group GmbH and a related private placement with British American Tobacco subsidiary BT DE Investments at a meeting held on March 30. The transaction resolution passed with 93% of votes cast, excluding shares associated with BAT, and authorizes Organigram to issue up to 96.3 million common shares to Sanity Group shareholders and BAT in connection with the deal.
The acquisition, expected to close in April subject to customary conditions, is positioned to expand Organigram’s presence from its leading position in Canada’s adult-use market into the German medical cannabis sector and establish a broader European operational footprint. Shareholders also approved the election of 10 directors, the reappointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as auditor, and the approval of unallocated awards under the company’s long-term equity incentive plan.
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Court Allows Majority of Juul Lawsuits to Proceed
A judge in Delaware Superior Court largely denied a motion by Juul Labs Inc. to dismiss more than 1,000 consolidated lawsuits alleging the company misled consumers about the health risks and addictiveness of its e-cigarettes. The plaintiffs claim Juul’s marketing, product design, and nicotine formulations contributed to addiction and health harms, particularly among young users, and that the company failed to adequately warn consumers. Juul had argued that many of the claims were legally deficient and should be thrown out before trial.
The court trimmed or dismissed certain narrower counts, but allowed most of the core claims to move forward, including allegations tied to consumer protection, fraud, and failure to warn. The ruling means the bulk of the litigation will proceed into further discovery and pretrial phases.
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Hong Kong Bust Seizes $12M in Illicit Cigarettes at Sea
Four men were arrested over the weekend when a joint enforcement operation off the coast of Hong Kong intercepted a river trade vessel off Waglan Island, seizing about 20 million suspected illicit cigarettes worth HK$92 million ($12 million) with HK$68 million ($8.8 million) in potential unpaid duty. The cigarettes were found inside two 45-foot containers aboard the vessel.
The operation was led by Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department, the Hong Kong Police Force Marine Police, and mainland counterparts, and coordinated with the Anti-Smuggling Bureau of Mainland Customs, the Ministry of Public Security of the People’s Republic of China, and the China Coast Guard following joint risk assessment and intelligence analysis targeting cross-boundary smuggling routes in the southeastern waters of Hong Kong.
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100,000 Illicit Cigarettes Seized at The Hague Supermarket
A coordinated inspection by the The Hague Economic Intervention Team uncovered 102,800 illegal cigarettes at a supermarket in Rustenburg Oostbroek, The Hague. The cigarettes lacked Dutch excise stamps, indicating unpaid taxes and violations of the Excise Act. Officers from Dutch Customs found the products hidden in concealed compartments inside the store and in two company vehicles, which were also confiscated after being linked to repeated illicit trade activity.
The operation involved partners across the HEIT network, including municipal authorities, police, the food and consumer product safety authority, labor inspectors, and social services, reflecting a broader push to combat economic crime and “undermining” activity tied to illicit tobacco. Local sources indicated this was not the first time illegal cigarettes had been discovered at the business during inspections.
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Dutch Study: Supermarket Sales Ban Dropped Smoking 1%
A study by SEO Economic Research estimates that the Netherlands’ ban on tobacco sales in supermarkets, mini-markets, and night shops from July 1, 2024, led to 23,000 fewer smokers by year-end, about a 1% drop nationwide. The reduction in outlets cut the number of tobacco sales points within 250 meters of homes by half, with 47% of those who quit living in vulnerable neighborhoods, suggesting the measure helped narrow health disparities.
Researchers found smoking likelihood falls 6% when no outlet is within 250 meters, while overall outlet numbers dropped 60%, forcing consumers to travel 1.5 times farther on average. The findings were welcomed by KWF Kankerbestrijding, which is urging further reductions in retail availability amid growth in standalone tobacco specialty shops.
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Spain’s Supreme Court Takes Royal Portraits from Altadis
Spain’s Supreme Court ended a nine-year legal dispute by ruling that two royal portraits painted in 1789 by Francisco Goya belong to the Spanish state rather than tobacco company Altadis, according to Reuters.
The portraits, depicting King Charles IV and Maria Luisa of Parma, were originally commissioned by the Royal Tobacco Factory of Seville to commemorate the king’s coronation. Over more than two centuries, the factory’s operations passed through various commercial entities, including Tabacalera, which became Altadis in 1999 and is now owned by Imperial Brands. During that time, the paintings were displayed in company offices.
Altadis filed suit in 2017, asking for a declaration of ownership, claiming that uninterrupted custodianship established ownership. However, the court determined that the artworks were part of the Crown’s patrimony from the outset and later transferred to the modern Spanish state. While companies operating the tobacco business were permitted to display the portraits for decorative purposes, ownership was never transferred.
Altadis said it disagrees with the substance of the ruling but will comply. The decision is final and cannot be appealed.