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Category: Business & Finance

  • PMI Expands Global Services Hub in Philippines

    PMI Expands Global Services Hub in Philippines

    Philip Morris International’s global business services hub in Makati, Philippines, added more than 80 positions as it moved into higher-value services at its 8 Rockwell location. PMI Business Solutions Philippines began operations in 2021 with a focus on finance and information technology services for 20 markets. The hub now employs more than 500 professionals providing 600 services across finance, human resources, IT, commercial services, data analytics, supply chain, project management, and fleet services for 160 markets.

    PMIBS President Harry Tan said the company plans to use artificial intelligence to support more complex services and is focusing on talent development, operational expansion, and AI transformation. Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Corporation President Zhenya Ivanov reaffirmed PMI’s commitment to the Philippines and PMIBS’ role in the company’s broader transformation and growth. The Makati facility is PMI’s second global business services center and its first in Asia.

  • China’s STMA Gets New Deputy Director

    China’s STMA Gets New Deputy Director

    China’s State Council announced numerous appointments and removals September 20, including naming Zhang Xiaotang as deputy director of the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration (STMA). The STMA has also listed Zhang as a member of its Party leadership group and deputy director.

    Zhang, who holds an MBA and is a senior accountant, served as Party secretary and general manager of Hebei China Tobacco Industry Co. since November 2022. He previously held positions in the STMA’s financial management and supervision department, serving as deputy director from December 2018 and director from November 2019. Yao Laiying was appointed STMA director in April 2026.

  • Pseudonicotine Up, Synthetic Nicotine Down in Korea

    Pseudonicotine Up, Synthetic Nicotine Down in Korea

    Imports of pseudonicotine into South Korea’s surged after the government expanded tobacco regulations to cover synthetic nicotine, according to data from the Korea Customs Service. From April through August 2026, 12,126 kg of pseudonicotine valued at $463,422 was imported, with imports reaching 10,222 kg in April compared with 364 kg when customs began separately tracking the product category in October 2025.

    By comparison, synthetic nicotine imports fell sharply after regulation took effect in April. Imports totaled 231,663 kg from April through August, down from 1.28 million kg in the first three months of 2026. National Assembly member Moon Jin-seok said the shift raises concerns about tax avoidance because pseudonicotine is not currently subject to the same taxation as synthetic nicotine, and called for changes to the legal definition of tobacco.

  • PMI Publishes First TNFD Report

    PMI Publishes First TNFD Report

    Today (September 22), Philip Morris International published its first Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) Report, providing an assessment of nature-related dependencies, impacts, risks, and opportunities across its global value chain. The report examines how natural capital and ecosystem services affect areas including agricultural production, manufacturing, and access to raw materials.

    The report is part of PMI’s broader environmental disclosure efforts and follows its 2025 Climate Transition Plan. Nature is one of six strategic priorities under PMI’s Value Plan 2030+, alongside Consumers, Circularity, Climate, Our Workforce, and Workers in Our Value Chain. The report also includes examples of projects addressing water stewardship, biodiversity, soil restoration, and product circularity.

  • Turning Point Appoints Glazek as New CEO

    Turning Point Appoints Glazek as New CEO

    Turning Point Brands announced the appointment of David E. Glazek as CEO, effective Oct. 1. Glazek, who currently serves as Executive Chairman, will succeed Graham Purdy, who is stepping down as CEO for personal reasons and will be assisting with the transition of his responsibilities.

    TPB reaffirmed its full-year 2026 Modern Oral gross sales guidance of $330 million to $350 million and net sales guidance of $260 million to $270 million. The company narrowed its full-year EBITDA guidance to $70 million to $80 million, from $70 million to $90 million, citing the assumption that onshoring manufacturing will provide no margin benefit until 2027, along with prolonged higher freight costs.

  • PMI Increases Dividend 8.8% to Annualized Rate of $6.40 per Share

    PMI Increases Dividend 8.8% to Annualized Rate of $6.40 per Share

    Philip Morris International’s (PMI) Board of Directors increased the company’s regular quarterly dividend by 8.8% to $1.60 per share, or an annualized rate of $6.40 per share, up from $1.47. The dividend is payable Oct. 26, to shareholders of record as of Oct. 2, with an ex-dividend date of Oct. 2.

    PMI said it has increased its annual dividend every year since becoming a publicly traded company in 2008. The latest increase brings the company’s cumulative dividend increase since its IPO to 248%, representing a compound annual growth rate of 7.2%.

  • Zambian-Owned Cigarette Brand Plans November Launch

    Zambian-Owned Cigarette Brand Plans November Launch

    Rastaman, a Zambian-owned cigarette brand, announced it is preparing for a November launch in Lusaka, with a planned retail price of ZMW25 ($1.28) per pack. The company said it secured local contract manufacturing after eight months of rejections, describing the arrangement as the first local contract manufacturing agreement for a Zambian-owned cigarette brand in the country’s history.

    The company says its trademark, ZM/T/2026/002422, has been registered with the Patents and Companies Registration Agency (PACRA). The brand’s packaging features a Lion of Judah, Ethiopian green, yellow, and red colors, and Rastafari cultural elements. Rastaman also reported pre-launch interest from Jamaica, Guyana, Suriname, and South Africa, and said it is developing distribution plans for the brand.

  • Relaunched NicoLeaks.com Expands Product Info, Test Results 

    Relaunched NicoLeaks.com Expands Product Info, Test Results 

    Haypp Group announced that it has relaunched NicoLeaks.com, a publicly available database of independent nicotine pouch testing results, marking the platform’s fifth anniversary. The redesigned site includes dedicated product pages, expanded product information, and tools to filter and compare laboratory results by nicotine content, pH, moisture levels, and market. Each entry identifies the source and date of analysis, while laboratory reports are available to view and download.

    Testing is conducted by Eurofins and covers compositional parameters including nicotine content, pH, moisture, tobacco-specific nitrosamines, and trace metals. Haypp said the testing evaluates product composition only and does not assess health effects. The relaunch coincides with the Tobacco Science Research Conference in Charlotte, N.C., where Haypp scientists are presenting findings from independent testing of more than 400 nicotine pouch products in 2025. The company said it plans to add scientific articles, presentations, and other educational resources to NicoLeaks in the coming months.

  • Imperial Urges Retailers to Weigh In on UK Consultation

    Imperial Urges Retailers to Weigh In on UK Consultation

    Imperial Brands is urging UK retailers to respond to the government’s latest consultation on the packaging, appearance, and in-store display of vapes, nicotine pouches, and other nicotine products before the Oct. 2 deadline. The company says retailer input will be important given the potential costs and operational disruption associated with changes to store layouts, displays, and packaging.

    The government is expected to respond by the end of the year, with new display restrictions on vapes and nicotine pouches proposed for June 2027. Product appearance requirements would follow later and could also apply to cigarette papers, herbal smoking products, and heated tobacco devices.

    Imperial said it supports measures to prevent youth access but says new requirements should be “practical, evidence-based, and workable for responsible law-abiding retailers.” The company warns that mandatory closed storage could require new fixtures or store-layout changes, while standardized white packaging could make products harder to distinguish and increase transaction times. It also says implementation timelines could be challenging where physical modifications are required.

    Imperial is encouraging retailers to submit their views through the government consultation portal, arguing their “real-world retail experience” is critical to developing practical and proportionate regulations. The consultation comes ahead of other significant UK changes, including Oct. 29’s minimum sales age of 18 for all consumer nicotine products and the phased annual increase in the tobacco sales age beginning Jan. 1, 2027.

  • Imperial Acquires Owner of Helwit Nicotine Pouches

    Imperial Acquires Owner of Helwit Nicotine Pouches

    Imperial Brands announced the acquisition of Swedish modern oral nicotine company Yoik Group AB, owner of the Helwit nicotine pouch brand, for an initial SEK 515 million (£39.8 million), plus a performance-based deferred payment over two years. Helwit has a 3.4% share of Sweden’s modern oral nicotine market and is sold online across Europe and in select U.K. retailers.

    The acquisition more than doubles Imperial’s existing modern oral market share in Sweden, where the company operates through Skruf AB. Yoik’s founders and employees will join Imperial, while the Helwit brand will remain focused on its flavor-led portfolio and Swedish heritage. The deal is part of Imperial’s strategy to expand its next-generation product portfolio through bolt-on acquisitions.