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Category: News This Week

  • PCA Announces New Board

    PCA Announces New Board

    The Premium Cigar Association announced the results of its latest Board of Directors election, with Brandon Hayes of Renegade Cigars in Dallas, Paul Copeland of Shore Thing Cigars (Florida and Alabama), and Michael Frey of the CigarBox in Las Vegas, elected to new three-year terms. Teresa Wessling of Georgetown (D.C.) Tobacco and Christian Eiroa of C.L.E. Cigars were re-elected to additional terms. The newly elected directors will be formally approved by the association’s membership on April 16 at the PCA 2026 trade show in New Orleans.

    PCA leadership said the association recorded its strongest membership, attendance, and revenue growth in a decade in 2025 and noted increased participation in this year’s board election.

  • PM Exec Urges Malaysia to Follow Japan’s Lead

    PM Exec Urges Malaysia to Follow Japan’s Lead

    A Philip Morris executive is urging Malaysia to adopt a harm-reduction approach to nicotine policy rather than banning vapes and e-cigarettes, citing Japan as a model. Naeem Shahab Khan, managing director of Philip Morris Malaysia and Singapore, called Japan’s framework a “pragmatic harm-reduction pathway,” noting the country legally allows heated tobacco products and applies product-specific tax rates. He said Japanese data show cigarette sales fell by about 52% from 2011 to 2023 as smokers shifted to alternatives, arguing that adult nicotine users should have “an equal opportunity to know what is less risky.” Khan warned that “unrealistic” bans could fuel illicit markets, adding that illegal cigarettes already account for about 55% of Malaysia’s sales.

  • Türkiye Looks to Tighten Smoking Regs

    Türkiye Looks to Tighten Smoking Regs

    Türkiye’s Health Ministry is finalizing draft regulations that would restrict the visibility of tobacco products in shops and expand smoking bans in public spaces, including parks, gardens, and playgrounds, as part of efforts to reduce tobacco use and limit children’s exposure. According to local reports, cigarettes would no longer be displayed behind cash registers, and the draft also includes updates to indoor smoking laws and measures addressing electronic cigarettes and other newer tobacco products. Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu said the proposal, which also calls for expanded smoking cessation services, will soon be submitted to parliament. Türkiye already enforces broad smoke-free laws, plain packaging, and advertising bans, though more than a quarter of the population still smokes.

  • Australians Seize Machine Capable of Making 3.5M Cigarettes a Day

    Australians Seize Machine Capable of Making 3.5M Cigarettes a Day

    Australian authorities seized a cigarette manufacturing machine capable of producing 3.5 million cigarettes a day during a raid on a Sydney storage unit linked to an alleged illicit tobacco syndicate, the Australian Border Force (ABF) said. The Rouse Hill facility also contained 7.5 kilograms of loose tobacco, nearly 6,000 vaping device components, and suspected counterfeit packaging. No arrests have been made, and investigations with NSW Police are ongoing.

    The seizure comes amid a broader crackdown on illegal tobacco products, with the ABF reporting more than 2.5 billion illicit cigarettes seized nationally in 2024–25 and a federal review estimating illegal products account for at least half of Australia’s tobacco market. NSW Health has also closed 52 stores in recent weeks under expanded enforcement powers targeting suspected illicit tobacco and vape sales.

  • New Zealand Approves First Product to Help Quit Vaping

    New Zealand Approves First Product to Help Quit Vaping

    The New Zealand Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority (Medsafe) approved the country’s first nicotine replacement therapy product specifically indicated to help people quit vaping. Medsafe is recommending Nicorette QuickMist for vapers looking to quit, a product that has been on the market for years for cigarette smokers. Asthma and Respiratory Foundation chief executive Letitia Harding said the approval recognizes vaping addiction as a growing issue and cited 2024 survey data showing 20% of Year 12 and 26% of Year 13 students reported vaping in the previous week. The Foundation is also calling for tighter vaping regulations, including halting new specialist vape retailers and restricting general retail sales.

  • Altria Seeks Boost from Double Duty Drawback

    Altria Seeks Boost from Double Duty Drawback

    Altria Group said it expects profits to get a lift in the second half of the year by taking advantage of a U.S. tax rebate tied to higher cigarette imports and exports, even after narrowly missing fourth-quarter 2025 profit estimates. Despite forecasting full-year 2026 earnings above analysts’ expectations, Altria’s shares fell about 2.8% following the update.

    The boost is expected to come from the so-called “double duty drawback,” a provision that allows tobacco companies to reclaim federal excise taxes paid on domestically sold cigarettes when they export similar products. According to Reuters, while rivals such as British American Tobacco have long benefited from this mechanism, Altria historically could not because it sells cigarettes only in the U.S. The company is now expanding exports through partnerships and contract manufacturing deals with foreign firms, including South Korea’s KT&G.

    Altria executives said using the rebate is necessary to remain competitive as cigarette sales continue to decline. The company has been investing in alternative products, such as its On! nicotine pouches, though competition has intensified.

  • American Lung Association Releases Tobacco Control Report

    American Lung Association Releases Tobacco Control Report

    The American Lung Association released its 24th annual State of Tobacco Control report, grading states and the federal government on policies proven to reduce tobacco use and prevent tobacco-related death and disease. The report states that the federal tobacco prevention landscape has been significantly altered by the effective dismantling of the CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health, including the scheduled end of the Tips From Former Smokers media campaign in 2026, which the association describes as a major setback for national tobacco control efforts. The report also evaluates each state’s progress in adopting measures aimed at reducing tobacco use and supporting cessation.

    The report gave top overall grades to California, Colorado, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maine, and Massachusetts. Its worst overall grades went to Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Texas, followed by Missouri, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and Tennessee. It said Maine and Montana were the two most improved states.

    Read the full report here.

  • India’s ITC Sees Profits Drop 10% with Labor Charge

    India’s ITC Sees Profits Drop 10% with Labor Charge

    ITC, India’s largest cigarette maker, reported a 10% decline in quarterly profit, weighed down by higher raw material costs and a one-time charge linked to the rollout of the country’s new labor codes. Standalone profit fell to 50.9 billion rupees ($560 million) for the quarter ended December 31, while total expenses rose 5%, partly due to rising prices of leaf tobacco, edible oil, and wheat, according to Reuters.

    Despite the profit drop, ITC’s cigarettes business — its biggest segment — posted an 8% rise in revenue, supported by steady volumes, even as leaf tobacco prices climbed amid stronger export demand. The company warned of further pressure on the sector after India imposed additional excise duty on cigarettes on top of a 40% goods and services tax, a move it said could fuel illicit trade among the country’s estimated 100 million smokers.

  • New York Gov. Floats 75% Tax on Nicotine Pouches

    New York Gov. Floats 75% Tax on Nicotine Pouches

    New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s executive budget proposes applying the state’s existing 75% wholesale tobacco tax to nicotine pouches. The proposal comes as state tobacco tax revenue declined from about $1 billion in 2021 to roughly $793 million last year, while cigarette smuggling — estimated to account for more than half of cigarettes consumed in New York — costs the state about $812 million annually, according to Tax Foundation data. State health data show nicotine pouch use among New York high school students increased from 1.5% in 2022 to 3% in 2025. The tax proposal is under consideration as part of budget negotiations.

  • Don Emmanuel Cigars Introduced in Panama

    Don Emmanuel Cigars Introduced in Panama

    Don Emmanuel Cigars announced its expansion into Panama, continuing its international growth with an official market launch this week. The debut was marked by an event at Club Unión’s Muelle featuring a cigar-and-rum pairing with Ron Barceló and an appearance by founder Don Emmanuel, introducing the brand’s Anunnaki line to local consumers.

    The company will be represented in Panama by Erick Villarreal, a banking professional and hospitality consultant with experience in Peru. The Anunnaki line, co-blended with master blender Eladio Díaz in the Dominican Republic, uses seven tobaccos including a Dominican wrapper and Mexican San Andrés binder. The Panama move follows recent expansion across the Caribbean, Latin America, and Africa, as the brand builds its global presence.