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Category: News This Week

  • JTI Expands Oral Nicotine Portfolio With PERLZ

    JTI Expands Oral Nicotine Portfolio With PERLZ

    Japan Tobacco International has expanded its alternative-nicotine portfolio in the United Kingdom with PERLZ, a dissolvable oral nicotine product available in Mint and Berry flavors and in two nicotine strengths. The product adds another format alongside conventional nicotine pouches as tobacco companies expand their offerings beyond combustible cigarettes.

    The launch adds to JTI’s broader investment in alternative nicotine products and its efforts to develop new categories for adult nicotine consumers. PERLZ also expands the range of oral nicotine formats competing for shelf space in the U.K. market.

  • China to End Export VAT Rebates for Vape Products

    China to End Export VAT Rebates for Vape Products

    China will end value-added tax (VAT) export rebates for specified electronic cigarette devices, nicotine, nicotine salts, and certain other inhalation products effective April 1, 2027, under a policy announced by the Ministry of Finance and State Taxation Administration. The measure affects designated product categories and customs codes.

    The change could increase export costs for Chinese manufacturers and suppliers serving international vaping and nicotine markets by eliminating rebates previously available on eligible exports. The impact will depend on the products covered, manufacturers’ cost structures, and their ability to adjust pricing or supply chains.

  • PMI Forum Highlights Smoke-Free Alternatives in Asia, Latin America

    PMI Forum Highlights Smoke-Free Alternatives in Asia, Latin America

    Philip Morris International (PMI) convened its first Central Asian Technovation forum in Tashkent, bringing together government officials, scientists, doctors, business leaders, and consumer advocates from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Russia to discuss the role of smoke-free alternatives in tobacco policy. PMI representatives cited Japan, Sweden, and the United States as examples of markets where alternatives such as heated-tobacco products, snus, and nicotine pouches have been associated with declining cigarette use.

    PMI’s Dr. Tomoko Iida said cigarette sales in Japan fell by more than half between 2011 and 2023, while daily smoking in Sweden declined to 3.7% in 2025. Speakers also discussed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s reviews of certain tobacco and nicotine products, the importance of evidence-based regulation, and the risks of illicit trade. Participants emphasized that quitting smoking remains the preferred outcome, while arguing that adult smokers who do not quit should have access to accurate information about alternatives. Uzbekistan’s State Customs Committee reported reducing the illicit share of the tobacco market to about 7% and seizing more than 3 million illicit cigarette packs this year.

    Also:

    PMI Highlights Smoke-Free Products in Latin America

    Philip Morris International highlighted its smoke-free portfolio at its Technovation 2026 event in Buenos Aires on Oct. 7–8, showcasing IQOS heated-tobacco products and ZYN nicotine pouches. PMI Chief Global Growth Officer Stefano Volpetti said smoke-free products account for more than 7% of the market in Mexico City. Argentina lifted its prohibition on heated-tobacco products in May and introduced product-registration requirements, opening a regulated path for their sale.

    A PMI-commissioned survey found that only 8% of respondents across four Latin American countries were familiar with nicotine pouches, indicating limited consumer awareness of the category in the markets surveyed. The company’s regional strategy includes expanding its smoke-free product portfolio as regulatory frameworks and market access evolve across Latin America.

  • UK Vaping Industry Calls for Stronger Retail Enforcement

    UK Vaping Industry Calls for Stronger Retail Enforcement

    The U.K. Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) is urging the government to strengthen enforcement against retailers violating tobacco and nicotine regulations as part of efforts to revitalize high streets. In evidence submitted to the House of Commons Communities and Local Government Committee, UKVIA Director Dr. Marina Murphy, head of scientific affairs at Haypp, said policymakers should distinguish compliant specialist vape shops from businesses that disregard rules on underage sales and product compliance.

    Murphy welcomed the forthcoming Retail Licensing Scheme but called for specialist nicotine retailers to be recognized as a separate category, with requirements for staff training, age verification, and responsible sourcing. UKVIA also urged higher penalties for violations and called for fines to fund Trading Standards enforcement, arguing that weak enforcement disadvantages compliant businesses.

  • German Customs Seizes 115,800 Untaxed E-Cigarettes

    German Customs Seizes 115,800 Untaxed E-Cigarettes

    German customs officers seized 115,800 untaxed e-cigarettes during four inspections conducted between Aug. 10 and Sept. 4, preventing nearly €1.4 million in lost tax revenue, the Main Customs Office in Magdeburg said. The devices, which were not approved for the German market, contained a total of 4.37 million milliliters of liquid. One truck driver was provisionally arrested, and criminal proceedings were initiated against all four drivers on suspicion of commercial tax evasion and violations of tobacco product laws.

  • JTI to Increase Heated-Tobacco Investment by 60%

    JTI to Increase Heated-Tobacco Investment by 60%

    Japan Tobacco International plans to invest ¥800 billion (about €4.5 billion) in heated-tobacco products from 2026 through 2028, a 60% increase over the previous three-year period, according to Spanish business newspaper Cinco Días. The investment is intended to expand the company’s Ploom brand and strengthen its position against Philip Morris International’s IQOS.

    JTI is targeting an average 15% market share across the 29 markets where Ploom operates, with Poland and Italy among its priorities. The investment comes as major tobacco companies expand smoke-free product portfolios and compete for share in heated-tobacco markets.

  • Geek Bar Leads with Youth Vapers

    Geek Bar Leads with Youth Vapers

    About 1.44 million U.S. middle and high school students used e-cigarettes in early 2025, with 64.1% of youth vapers reporting use of Geek Bar, according to an Oct. 5 Public Health Alert published by the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy and NEJM Evidence. The analysis of the 2025 National Youth Tobacco Survey found that 5.2% of students currently vaped, while approximately 460,000 used nicotine pouches, 69.2% of whom reported using Zyn.

    Fruit was the most popular vape flavor, while mint led among pouch users. The report noted that Geek Bar’s share had increased sharply from 2024, when Elf Bar was the leading brand. The FDA has said Geek Bar products are not authorized for sale in the United States.

  • China Destroys $355M of Illicit Tobacco, Nicotine Products

    China Destroys $355M of Illicit Tobacco, Nicotine Products

    Chinese authorities destroyed 188 million smuggled cigarettes, 55,000 e-cigarettes, and 2.7 metric tons of cut tobacco Oct. 12 as part of a nationwide crackdown on tobacco-related crimes. The coordinated operation took place in several regions, including Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, and Xinjiang. Since the start of 2026, a joint campaign involving 13 government departments, including the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration, Ministry of Public Security, and General Administration of Customs, has led to investigations of more than 4,500 smuggling cases and seizures of approximately 1.3 billion cigarettes, 150,000 cigars, and 39.8 metric tons of cut tobacco and tobacco leaves. The seized products were valued at 2.37 billion yuan ($355.5 million).

    The campaign targets tobacco products manufactured illegally overseas and smuggled into China, with enforcement covering purchasing, transportation, storage, and sales. Authorities have increased inspections at ports and border areas and expanded international law enforcement cooperation to disrupt smuggling routes.

  • Türkiye Eyes Electronic Age-Verification for Tobacco Sales

    Türkiye Eyes Electronic Age-Verification for Tobacco Sales

    Türkiye plans to require age verification for cigarette purchases as part of proposed legislation to curb tobacco use, Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu said Oct. 10-11, adding that the government is considering electronic systems that protect personal data following privacy concerns over a proposal requiring buyers to provide national identification numbers. The bill, expected to be submitted to Parliament within weeks, would also reduce the visibility of tobacco products, strengthen penalties for violations, and clarify smoking restrictions in cafes, restaurants, schools, sports facilities, and indoor public spaces.

    Memişoğlu said about 33% of Türkiye’s population uses tobacco and that the country sold 160 billion cigarettes, equivalent to 8 billion packs, in 2025, generating an estimated $20 billion to $30 billion in revenue. He also cited a Turkish Green Crescent Society study finding that 80% of people in the country want to quit smoking.

  • Russia Attacks JTI Subsidiary in Ukraine

    Russia Attacks JTI Subsidiary in Ukraine

    Russia’s Defense Ministry said it struck a subsidiary of Japan Tobacco International (JTI) in Ukraine’s Poltava region as part of an attack on Ukrainian defense industry enterprises, port infrastructure, and vessels. Russia alleged the JTI facility was producing ammunition for Ukrainian forces. JTI denied the allegation, saying it manufactures and sells tobacco products and has never been involved in military production.

    JTI said the factory had been struck several times and that operations were suspended before the latest attacks. The company said all employees were safe. The Japanese Embassy in Ukraine said it had no information indicating that any Japanese nationals were affected by the latest attack.