Category: Featured

Synthetic Nicotine Applications Due Soon

Photo: Brian Jackson
Premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs) for nontobacco nicotine products are due May 14, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced on its website.
Legislation enacted on March 15 empowers the FDA to regulate tobacco products containing nicotine from any source.
Effective April 14, not new nontobacco nicotine products may enter the market, as portions of the new law take effect.
The May 14 deadline applies to applicants using the FDA’s electronic submission process. Hardcopy applications must be received by FDA no later than 4 p.m. EDT on May 13.
April 17, 2022
Vietnam Sets Import Quotas for Cambodian Tobacco

Photo: Taco Tuinstra
Cambodia may export up to 3,000 tons of leaf tobacco to Vietnam under preferential import tax rates this year, reports The Khmer Times, citing Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoiT).
In order to enjoy the preferential import tax rate, the products must be accompanied by a Certificate of Origin issued by the Cambodian Ministry of Trade or another authorized agency, and their customs clearance procedures must be conducted at designated border crossings.
For dried tobacco leaves, importers must show a license to import raw tobacco under tariff quotas issued by the MoIT.
In September last year, Vietnam announced that it would impose a zero percent tax rate on 31 commodities imported from Cambodia such as live poultry, poultry meat and by-products, lemons and rice.
The list also includes finished pork products and unprocessed tobacco leaves.
April 17, 2022
Russia Sanctions Target Tobacco Tycoon

Photo: Zerophoto
Tobacco tycoon Igor Kesaev is among the targets of the latest tranche of EU and U.K. sanctions against individuals believed to be supporting the Russian-backed breakaway regions of Luhansk and Donetsk in Ukraine, according to The Herald of Scotland.
Kesaev reportedly controls 70 percent of the Russian cigarette market and is Russia’s 35th richest person.
Other individuals on the sanctions list include the wife of Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, Maria Lavrova; Alexander Ananchenko and Sergey Kozlov, self-styled Prime Minister and Chair of Government of the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics.
Relatives of Russian oligarchs have been targeted as well, including Pavel Ezubov, cousin of Oleg Deripaska, and Nigina Zairova, Executive Assistant to Mikhail Fridman.
April 17, 2022
Blinc Secures Patent for Branding Technology

Photo: The Blinc Group
The Blinc Group has secured a patent for its RingSystem hardware branding and labeling technology.
“Cannabis businesses have been struggling to maintain the proper amount of inventory in the vape space while also keeping their customers informed of what’s in their product,” said Sasha Aksenov, co-founder and chief innovation officer of The Blinc Group, in a statement.
“Companies shell out thousands of dollars for packaging and fill their cartridges with a specific cultivar to shortly find out that it’s not selling as expected. They are left with huge losses in branded hardware, but our Ring System allows the brands and licensed producers to label their products on demand during production, and, if they have to—pivot and relabel for pennies, not dollars.”
The Ring System consists of two bands one at the base of the mouthpiece or “top” and the other at the base of the cartridge—Top Ring and Base Ring. Before capping a compatible cartridge or disposable, operators can snap the Top Ring onto the mouthpiece of the cartridge with the strain name. The ring is also easily removed if the strain is not being sold or brands decide to pivot on the formulation or experience.
“At the Blinc Group we strive every day to promote innovation, quality, safety, and integrity in every one of our products, the Ring System is no different. It is imperative that the entire industry take those goals to heart,” said Arnaud Dumas de Rauly, co-founder & CEO of The Blinc Group. “Consumers need to know what’s in their cartridges at all times and for this industry to thrive companies need to be able to increase their productivity and flexibility, without spending huge amounts of working capital on an unsold inventory. There are enough hurdles in the cannabis space, what’s in your vape cartridge shouldn’t be one of them.”
April 17, 2022
Brazil Starts Consultation on E-Cigarettes

Photo: Brenda Blossom
Brazil’s national drug agency, Anvisa, has opened a consultation on e-cigarettes, reports Portal Rondonia. The agency is seeking technical and scientific information to help it craft regulations for the product category.
The import, sale and advertising of e-cigarettes is banned in Brazil, but the products are said to be widely available anyway.
Brazil’s Pulmonology Society has already expressed its opposition to e-cigarettes, claiming they are a threat to public health.
Pulmonologist Paulo Corrêa, coordinator of the institution’s smoking commission, explained there is a false belief among users that the smoke is not harmful, as it is only water vapor. He also warned that electronic cigarettes have a great appeal among young people, raising the number of new smokers in Brazil.
On April 11, Brazil’s research foundation Fiocruz, which runs a center for studies on tobacco and health, launched a campaign on the risks of the use and release of electronic smoking devices in Brazil. Besides informative material on social media, the campaign includes an online petition encouraging people to oppose the legalization of e-cigarettes in Brazil.
Stakeholders can submit information to Anvisa until May 11.
April 13, 2022
Bahrain Launches Digital Stamps System

Photo: gonin
Bahrain’s National Bureau for Revenue (NBR) has launched a digital stamp scheme to track excise goods, including tobacco products, from manufacturing to the point of consumption, reports the Bahrain News Agency
The goal of the scheme is to protect consumers from counterfeit or illegal products, limit attempts to smuggle excise goods into the kingdom, and ensure the effectiveness of government revenue collection.
Implementation of the digital stamps will take place in phases in collaboration with Customs Affairs at the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, and the Ministry of Health. There will be three phases. The first phase will focus on cigarette products. The second phase includes implementation on all imported products through customs clearance, and the last phase includes implementation in local markets.
Registration for the scheme is required by excise payers who import tobacco products and their relevant supply chain organizations from production to the release of the products to the local market, according to the NBR.
The NBR held two virtual workshops to help prepare stakeholders for successful implementation of the digital stamps.
April 13, 2022
Turning Point Appoints Chief Marketing Officer
Turning Point Brands has appointed Summer Frein as the company’s chief marketing officer, effective immediately. In this role, Frein is responsible for driving Turning Point Brands’ marketing strategy across the company’s extensive brand portfolio.
“As Turning Point Brands continues to transform into a more diversified consumer packaged goods company, Summer’s vast experience leading the planning, strategic development and execution for notable consumer brands will be extremely valuable,” said Yavor Efremov, president and CEO of Turning Point Brands, in a statement. “I look forward to working closely with Summer as she helps our team to improve our differentiated, world-class brands’ profile and consumer acceptance.”
Frein previously served as general manager at Cronos Group USA, where she designed and implemented the company’s sales and marketing strategy. Frein also previously led Cronos Group’s U.S. brand sales operations, including building and managing brand and retail partnerships for the Lord Jones and Happy Dance brands.
Prior to joining Cronos Group, Frein held a variety of senior leadership roles at Altria Group across sales, digital and brand marketing, strategy and business development. Notably, in 2018, she led Altria’s cannabis research investment initiative as part of Altria’s strategy and business development group.
“Over the course of my 15-year career, I have worked with leading adult-use consumer brands on many different sides of the business and watched Turning Point Brands evolve into the leading company that it is today,” said Frein. “This new opportunity will allow me to work with the dynamic team at Turning Point Brands to develop a long-term marketing strategy and help to fully unlock the value of the company’s iconic Zig-Zag and Stoker’s brands.”
April 13, 2022
Report: Paper Market to Hit $1.58 billion

Photo: BMJ
The global tobacco paper market will grow from $1.23 billion in 2020 to $1.58 billion by 2028 at a compound annual growth rate of 3.04 percent, according to a report by The Brainy Insights.
The authors of the study attribute the growth to an increase in demand for treeless cigarette rolling papers and the popularity of roll-your-own (RYO) cigarettes, among other factors.
“Tobacco paper vendors are now focusing on eco-friendly cigarette papers,” The Brainy Insights wrote in a press note. “They now offer eco-friendly products, for instance, tree-less cigarette paper and filter tips. Different fruit pulp and vegetable pulp are now getting used for the rolling papers in place of trees by the tobacco paper manufacturers.”
Other developments discussed in the report include slow burning low-odor papers and products that are easier to roll. The authors also suggest that strict regulation of vapor products is driving some vapers toward RYO cigarettes.
April 13, 2022
China Releases Vapor Product Standards

Photo: Taco Tuinstra
China’s market regulator today unveiled technical standards for e-cigarettes that will go into effect starting Oct. 1.
In a public document, the State Administration for Market Regulation listed the requirements for design, chemical compounds and the mechanics for e-cigarettes that domestic manufacturers must meet in order to sell their products, according to Channel News Asia.
In March, Chinese tobacco authorities issued a finalized version of rules that stipulate other requirements for e-cigarette companies in China.
Most notably, the rules state that e-cigarette companies may only sell their products through authorized channels, and also bar vendors from selling e-cigarette flavors other than tobacco.
The Beijing Business Today revealed that many flavored vape products have seen prices increase up to CNY30 ($4.72). The Forward Industrial Research Institute has recently reported that in China there are approximately 1,500 vape manufacturers and brand enterprises, and over 100,000 e-cigarette supply chains and related service enterprises, providing employment to an estimated 5.5 million people.
The research firm also found that in 2021, domestic e-cigarette sales totaled about CNY19.7 billion, with an annual growth of 36 percent.
April 12, 2022
Vaporesso Unveils New Logo

Vaporesso revealed its new logo during the Vapexpo event in Lille, France. The China-based vaping device manufacturer’s new logo features the letter “V” at the forefront, encircled behind by the letter “O.”
The “O” symbolizes a vapor ring that opens up. Beyond the visual, the “O” also represents the joy, love and hope that the brand brings. The “V” symbolizes the passion that characterizes the vaping community. It is an ode to the vapers that Vaporesso has built and grown alongside, according to a press release.
“‘V’ and ‘O’ are the defining symbols for Vaporesso. On our journey to push the envelope, we hold onto a craftsman’s heart and ambition. With our in-house tech and expertise, we will grow along with our users and exceed expectations and limitations,” says Thalia Cheng, chief marketing officer of Vaporesso.
The presentation of the new logo is the first step in a rebranding campaign. Also during Vapexpo, Vaperesso introduced its latest technology and products. New products included the iTank with its patented Turbo Airflow System, the GTi coil platform and the GEN 200, 8S and FIT.
Vaporesso recently launched its first flagship store in Marseille, France, in December 2021. Vaporesso also plans to open stores in Paris and other major French cities.
April 12, 2022