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Category: Global Regulation

  • Vietnam Proposes Online Tobacco Sales Ban, Larger Pack Warnings

    Vietnam Proposes Online Tobacco Sales Ban, Larger Pack Warnings

    Vietnam’s government submitted draft amendments to the Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms that would ban online tobacco sales, prohibit retail displays unless otherwise authorized, and clarify restrictions on e-cigarettes and heated-tobacco products. The proposal would also cover e-cigarette components and liquids, nicotine pouches, shisha, and certain tobacco raw materials. If approved, the law would take effect July 1, 2027.

    The National Assembly’s Committee on Culture and Social Affairs recommended requiring health warnings to cover at least 85% of the front and back of cigarette packs and cartons, with a possible timetable to increase coverage to 100%. It also called for warnings to be printed directly on packaging and supported allowing retailers to refuse sales to customers unable to prove they are of legal age. The draft follows Vietnam’s 2024 ban on e-cigarettes and heated tobacco and seeks to clarify enforcement provisions covering production, sales, possession, transportation, and cross-border trade.

  • T&C Backs Down on Tobacco Licensing Fees

    T&C Backs Down on Tobacco Licensing Fees

    The Turks and Caicos Islands government is replacing its proposed fixed annual alcohol and tobacco import licensing fees of $75,000 and $50,000, respectively, with fees based on import value following public backlash. Under the revised proposal announced Oct. 14, alcohol importers would pay 5% of the accepted customs value of their imports. Tobacco importers would pay the higher of 5% of accepted customs value or 5% of a reference value calculated by tobacco weight. Both categories would have a minimum annual fee of $1,000. The revised fee structure remains subject to stakeholder consultation and government approval.

    The government plans to maintain its licensing timetable, with businesses required to register and apply for licenses Nov. 1-30. Beginning Dec. 1, commercial alcohol and tobacco shipments imported without valid licenses could be detained, seized or forfeited. The government also proposed replacing the existing tobacco import license with a Customs tobacco import license, subject to legislative amendments.

  • FDA Tabs Jessica Zeller for CTP Compliance and Enforcement

    FDA Tabs Jessica Zeller for CTP Compliance and Enforcement

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it selected Jessica Zeller as director of the Center for Tobacco Products’ Office of Compliance and Enforcement, effective Nov. 1. Zeller joins CTP from Edwards Lifesciences, where she served as vice president corporate counsel and general counsel for quality.

    Zeller previously held senior positions within CTP’s Office of Compliance and Enforcement, including serving as its inaugural deputy director. She also served as the FDA Office of Regulatory Affairs’ inaugural ombudsman and as an associate chief counsel and trial attorney in the agency’s Office of Chief Counsel. She has more than 20 years of experience in compliance, enforcement, and legal and regulatory affairs.

  • Pennsylvania Begins Enforcing ENDS Directory Sales Restrictions

    Pennsylvania Begins Enforcing ENDS Directory Sales Restrictions

    Pennsylvania began enforcing its electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) directory requirements today (Oct. 19), prohibiting retail sales of covered products not listed in the state’s directory. The directory, published Oct. 18, contained 163 product records across seven manufacturers, including Vuse, JUUL, NJOY, Logic, Naked 100, CrossBar, and e Cig 4 Inmate. Products absent from the directory include Geek Bar, RAZ, Lost Mary, Elf Bar, and Imperial Brands’ blu. Violations can result in fines, product seizures, and license penalties.

  • Reemtsma Criticizes Planned German Tobacco Tax Increases

    Reemtsma Criticizes Planned German Tobacco Tax Increases

    Reemtsma, Germany’s second-largest tobacco manufacturer by overall market share, criticized planned tobacco tax increases from 2027 ahead of an expected Bundestag vote, saying the measures depart from the governing coalition’s commitment to predictable, moderate tax increases. The company said warnings from businesses, retailers, trade unions, researchers, and lawmakers about the potential effects of larger increases were largely disregarded during the legislative process.

    Reemtsma said higher taxes could accelerate cross-border purchases and illicit tobacco sales without reducing consumption at the same rate as legal-market sales. The company warned that declining legal sales could put pressure on manufacturers, retailers, employment, and domestic economic activity. It also questioned whether the government would collect the projected additional €11.8 billion in tax revenue through 2030 if consumers shifted to untaxed channels.

    Christian Cordes, Reemtsma’s director of corporate and legal affairs, compared the proposal with tax increases in the early 2000s, which he said contributed to a decline in the legal market and lower-than-expected revenue. Reemtsma said it supports a gradual, predictable tax-increase model and called for clear criteria to assess changes in legal sales, consumption, and tax receipts, along with measures to address potential market imbalances. The company’s position is outlined in its statement on tobacco taxation.

  • FDA Seeks Two New Voting Members for Tobacco Advisory Committee

    FDA Seeks Two New Voting Members for Tobacco Advisory Committee

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is seeking nominations by Dec. 14 to fill two vacancies on its Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee (TPSAC), which advises the agency on scientific, technical, and policy issues related to tobacco regulation. Candidates may be self-nominated or nominated by individuals or organizations and should have expertise in oncology, pulmonology, cardiology, toxicology, pharmacology, addiction, engineering, or other relevant fields. Selected members may serve terms of up to four years. Nominations submitted after the deadline will be considered for future vacancies. The Federal Register notice provides submission instructions.

    The FDA also announced four new voting members: Holger Behrsing, Ph.D.; Kim “Skip” Murray, representing the general public; Margaret Nolan, M.D.; and Andrew A. Strasser, Ph.D. Their expertise spans preventive medicine, chronic diseases, tobacco cessation and harm reduction, toxicology, cell biology, and health communication. The agency also selected Eric Ray Walker, Ph.D., as an alternate nonvoting member representing tobacco growers. TPSAC has 12 members, including a chair, and evaluates tobacco-product risks, dependence, and health effects to provide advice and recommendations to the FDA commissioner.

  • Pennsylvania to Begin Enforcing ENDS Directory Law Oct. 19

    Pennsylvania to Begin Enforcing ENDS Directory Law Oct. 19

    Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday said his office will begin enforcing Act 57 on Oct. 19. The law, passed last year, prohibits the sale of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) not listed in the state’s approved product directory. Eligible products must have FDA marketing authorization or meet specified requirements related to timely filed premarket tobacco product applications.

    The attorney general’s office plans to conduct targeted inspections statewide, provide compliance education, and impose graduated penalties for repeat violations. The office is also working with manufacturers to resolve pending product submissions and incomplete documentation. The public directory lists approved manufacturers, brands, product categories, product names, and flavors.

  • 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.

  • Russia to Allow Regional Vape Sales Bans

    Russia to Allow Regional Vape Sales Bans

    Russia will allow regional governments to prohibit the retail sale of electronic nicotine delivery systems and e-liquids for five years beginning March 1, 2027, under a new experimental regime. The measure will run through March 1, 2032, with regions able to adopt their own laws imposing the bans, while existing federal rules will remain in effect in regions that do not introduce restrictions.

    The first regional proposals are already emerging. Authorities in Primorsky Krai have proposed banning retail sales of electronic cigarettes, vape and pod systems, and their liquids, including nicotine-free liquids, from March 1, 2027, through March 1, 2032. The proposal is currently undergoing public discussion.

  • Philippines Requires Safety Certification for Nicotine Pouches

    Philippines Requires Safety Certification for Nicotine Pouches

    The Philippines Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has imposed mandatory product certification requirements for nicotine pouches under Department Administrative Order (DAO) No. 26-07, signed Sept. 2. The order requires nicotine pouches to obtain certification under the Philippine Standard (PS) licensing scheme before they can be manufactured, imported, packaged, sold, or distributed. Products must meet World Health Organization reference procedures for nicotine content, pH level, and water activity.

    Manufacturers must conduct in-plant testing or use a DTI-recognized or accredited foreign laboratory. Packaging must declare nicotine content and allergens, provide use and disposal instructions, display the PS certification mark, and carry a full-color health warning covering contraindications, medication interactions, precautions, adverse reactions, and overdose treatment. The DTI established a 12-month transition period for companies to register existing products. Afterward, only nicotine pouches with a valid PS license may be manufactured, imported, distributed, or sold in the Philippines.