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Category: News This Week

  • Davidoff Expands Line with Zino Honduras

    Davidoff Expands Line with Zino Honduras

    Oettinger Davidoff Group is advancing the evolution of its gateway cigar brand with the launch of Zino Honduras, a new blend positioned to offer a more robust and layered flavor profile while maintaining the approachable philosophy established with Zino Nicaragua. The release signals a strategic step in broadening the Zino portfolio within the company’s premium cigar range, the company said.

    According to Javier González, SVP Head Global Marketing & Innovation, the new line responds to growing demand for more intense cigars while introducing innovative packaging formats, including tins, packs, and fresh packs with pre-cut cigars — a first for the Zino brand. Zino Honduras will be offered in three vitolas: Half Corona (4 x 44), Robusto (5 x 54), and Toro (6 x 50).

    Retailers will get an early preview at the Premium Cigar Association Trade Show in New Orleans from April 17–20, where the company will showcase how the Zino range is expanding from an entry point into a broader, laddered portfolio designed to deepen consumer engagement in the premium cigar category.

  • Smoker Friendly Moves Events to Wyoming in 2026

    Smoker Friendly Moves Events to Wyoming in 2026

    For the first time, the Smoker Friendly Conference and Tobacco Festival (SFCTF) and the Rocky Mountain Cigar Festival will be held outside Colorado, relocating to Cheyenne, Wyoming, in 2026. Organizers said the move reflects a long-term strategy tied to Wyoming’s business- and tobacco-friendly regulatory environment. Held July 30-31, SFCTF will celebrate its 30th anniversary while RMCF will mark its 17th year.

    Both gatherings will take place back-to-back at the Little America Hotel & Resort, creating a multi-day hub for retailers and consumers. SFCTF will focus on Smoker Friendly’s network of roughly 700 authorized retail stores with seminars, networking, and a trade show, followed by RMCF, which is expected to draw around 2,500 cigar enthusiasts and more than 100 vendors for a consumer-facing festival. Organizers say the relocation underscores how the regulatory climate increasingly influences where large-scale premium tobacco events are held.

  • German Engineered Cigars Debuts Pill-Style Packaging

    German Engineered Cigars Debuts Pill-Style Packaging

    German Engineered Cigars is bringing pharmaceutical-style precision to the cigar world with its new German Engineered Cigars AKUT release. Launching next month, the 4 x 50 petite robusto will debut blister packaging—commonly used for pills—which individually seals each cigar in a humidified cell, protecting it without a humidor.

    Co-founder Oliver Nickels explained that the packaging provides portability, protection, and an effective way to deliver product information through an included insert. The first two blends using AKUT packaging will be Kraftwerk, the company’s fullest blend featuring Mexican San Andrés wrapper and binder with Dominican filler tobaccos, and RVGN Extrem, a 10th-anniversary blend with a Mexican wrapper and Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers.

    The AKUT line will be showcased at the PCA Convention & Trade Show 2026 in New Orleans from April 18–20. German Engineered Cigars has not yet disclosed pricing or shipping dates.

  • Imperial to Close Langenhagen Plant by 2027

    Imperial Brands announced it will shut down cigarette production at its Reemtsma plant in Langenhagen, Germany, by 2027 after failing to secure a buyer, a move affecting around 600 employees. The site, operating since 1971 and currently producing cigarettes, fine-cut tobacco, and tobacco sticks for heated products, is the last Reemtsma manufacturing location in Germany. Company executive Sami Naffakh said extensive efforts to find a viable solution for the plant’s future had proved unsuccessful, citing high production costs, underutilization, and declining volumes in the traditional tobacco segment.

    Germany’s Food, Beverages and Restaurants Union criticized the process, claiming workers were kept in the dark about buyer discussions, while Imperial Brands said the union had been kept indirectly informed within confidentiality limits. The closure follows an October announcement that the site would either be sold or wound down, with production expected to be phased out over the next two years.

  • Japanese Consumers Facing Double Hit

    Japanese Consumers Facing Double Hit

    The first phase of Japan’s tax increases on tobacco products and corporate income will take effect April 1, marking the first phase of a broader revenue plan to finance expanded defense spending, with additional increases planned for October and January 2027. Both conventional cigarettes and heated tobacco products will be affected, with the long-standing tax gap between the two categories set to narrow. The government aims to raise ¥1.3 trillion ($8.2 billion) in fiscal 2027 through staged hikes on tobacco, corporate, and personal income taxes to help fund a ¥43 trillion ($271 billion), five-year defense buildup that began in 2023.

    In response to the new corporate taxes, Philip Morris Japan said it will raise prices by ¥40–¥50 (25 to 32 cents) per pack on 50 heated tobacco products from April 1, while Japan Tobacco plans ¥20–¥30 (13 to 19 cent) increases on 37 products. Manufacturers have not yet outlined pricing responses for October’s tax hike.

    The Finance Ministry estimates tobacco tax revenue will increase by ¥44 billion ($277 million) in fiscal 2026, ¥116 billion in 2027 ($731 million), and ¥212 billion ($1.3 billion) annually thereafter as additional levies take effect. The measures come as Japan seeks to secure more than ¥9 trillion ($56.7 billion) in defense spending for fiscal 2026, reaching its 2% of GDP target ahead of schedule.

  • Baltimore Argues 1998 MSA Doesn’t Cover Cigarette Litter

    Baltimore Argues 1998 MSA Doesn’t Cover Cigarette Litter

    The City of Baltimore told a Maryland state court that the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement does not shield tobacco companies from liability in its lawsuit over environmental harm caused by nonbiodegradable cigarette filters. The city is seeking to proceed with claims against R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, Philip Morris USA, and Liggett Group LLC, arguing that the decades-old settlement addressed healthcare costs related to smoking, not municipal expenses tied to cigarette butt litter and environmental cleanup. Baltimore contends that its suit targets a separate issue involving plastic filter waste and the burden placed on city services, and therefore should not be dismissed on preemption grounds.

  • Appeals Court Vacates 93A Defense Verdict in Philip Morris Case

    Appeals Court Vacates 93A Defense Verdict in Philip Morris Case

    The Massachusetts Appeals Court ruled that a jury does not need to find liability on underlying tort claims to hold a tobacco company accountable under Chapter 93A, the state’s consumer protection statute. The decision comes in the case of Peter Agnitti, who sued Philip Morris USA over the death of his wife, alleging negligence, fraud, misrepresentation, breach of warranty, and Chapter 93A violations.

    At trial, the Superior Court instructed jurors that a 93A violation could only be found if they also found Philip Morris liable for fraud or misrepresentation. The jury returned a defense verdict on all counts. On appeal, the court found that the instruction improperly conflated 93A liability with fraud, noting that a 93A claim based on deceptive acts does not require proof of reliance or intent to deceive. The panel also clarified that the plaintiff’s pre-charge objections preserved the issue for appeal under Rule 51(b).

    The court emphasized that Chapter 93A is a standalone statutory cause of action, intended to protect consumers independently of other tort claims. Citing evidence that Philip Morris misrepresented the risks of smoking and marketed “light” and “low-tar” cigarettes as safer alternatives despite knowing otherwise, the Appeals Court vacated the 93A judgment and allowed the claim to proceed.

    Legal experts say the ruling reinforces that 93A claims are sui generis and provides guidance on preserving jury instruction objections at trial.

  • American Snuff Expands Manufacturing Workforce

    American Snuff Expands Manufacturing Workforce

    Reynolds American, as part of its $3.2 billion U.S. investment plan, announced that American Snuff Company is adding more than 50 new manufacturing roles at its Clarksville, Tennessee, facility, the company’s second-largest production site. The hiring, expected throughout 2026, includes machine operator and maintenance technician positions with hands-on training to support modern manufacturing and career growth.

    Since 2024, Reynolds American’s investment has already added 1,000 jobs and is projected to create another 1,000 direct and indirect roles across its U.S. operations and supply network. The expansion aligns with the company’s strategy to transition toward smokeless tobacco products while supporting local agriculture and the regional economy. Adriano Rusak highlighted the company’s commitment to providing local opportunities and preparing its workforce for the future.

  • KT&G Outlines Growth and Innovation Plans

    KT&G Outlines Growth and Innovation Plans

    KT&G CEO Bang Kyung-man said the company will maintain a stable growth trajectory despite headwinds from protectionist trade policies and high exchange rates. Speaking at the annual shareholders’ meeting in Daejeon, Bang emphasized strengthening profitability and efficiency on the foundation of existing growth.

    KT&G plans to enhance the profit structure of its overseas cigarette business through country-specific pricing strategies and full-scale operation of its “local complete production system.” The company also aims to boost competitiveness in the NGP (next-generation products) segment, including cigarette-type e-cigarettes, by accelerating R&D-driven innovation and leveraging global partnerships.

    Bang highlighted a commitment to shareholder returns, including dividend expansion and share buybacks, and reaffirmed KT&G’s role as a leading company in South Korea’s valuation industry. At the meeting, shareholders approved the 39th financial statements, amendments to the articles of incorporation, changes to director compensation, appointments of outside directors and audit committee members, and the treasury share disposal plan.

  • Russia Moves Toward Ban on E-Cigarettes and Vapes

    Russia Moves Toward Ban on E-Cigarettes and Vapes

    Yesterday (March 25), Russia’s State Commission for Combating Illicit Trafficking in Industrial Products, chaired by First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, backed a proposal to fully ban the production, import, and sale of electronic cigarettes, vapes, and refill liquids. Sources told Vedomosti that the next step will be drafting a bill, with authors likely to include State Duma deputies, the Ministry of Health, or the Ministry of Industry and Trade. A specific list of devices to be banned, potentially including e-hookahs and electronic pipes, will be finalized after further discussion.

    President Vladimir Putin has previously expressed support for restrictions. However, experts warn that a ban could fuel Russia’s already large gray market, which accounts for roughly 68% of e-cigarette sales, potentially undermining enforcement. In 2024, the Russian e-cigarette market was estimated at over 250 billion rubles ($3 billion), with more than 245 million devices sold and 1.2 million liters of liquids produced for retail.

    While the ban’s official legislation is still pending, the State Commission’s approval marks a significant step toward stricter regulation of electronic nicotine delivery systems in Russia.