TobaccoReporter logo

Category: Global Regulation

  • FDA Targets ‘Disguised’ Nicotine Products in Retail Crackdown

    FDA Targets ‘Disguised’ Nicotine Products in Retail Crackdown

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued warning letters to eight retailers for selling unauthorized nicotine pouches and dissolvable tobacco products designed to resemble candy, breath strips, and cough drops, raising concerns that the items could both appeal to children and be accidentally ingested by young kids. According to the agency, the products’ labeling, advertising, and design mimic everyday consumer goods, “disguising” them and making it easier for youth to conceal their use from adults.

    Acting Center for Tobacco Products Director Bret Koplow said no tobacco product should look like candy and described the practice as a tactic to mask the products’ true nature. The retailers were cited for violating the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act by selling products without FDA authorization and were ordered to correct the violations or face potential penalties, including seizures, injunctions, and/or fines. The action follows recent FDA guidance outlining enforcement priorities for unauthorized electronic nicotine delivery systems and nicotine pouch products, part of a broader push to remove youth-appealing products from the market.

    The agency noted it has now issued more than 800 warning letters to manufacturers and distributors and over 1,000 to retailers over unauthorized tobacco sales, and reminded retailers to consult its updated list of legally marketed products and use available compliance materials.

  • Imperial Backs UK’s Push to Fight Organized Crime

    Imperial Backs UK’s Push to Fight Organized Crime

    Imperial Brands backs new Government crackdown on illicit trade to protect honest retailers

    Imperial Brands has welcomed the UK Government’s new £30m High Street organised crime unit[1], designed to tackle illicit trade and support law-abiding retailers across the UK.

    The move follows growing concern around the scale of criminal activity operating through some high street outlets, with illegal products undercutting legitimate businesses and distorting fair competition amongst retailers.

    Under the plans, offending premises will face increased enforcement action, including raids, closures and asset seizures, with additional funding provided to Trading Standards teams.

    Imperial Brands believes this step will help level the playing field for responsible retailers who operate within the law and serve their local communities.

    James Hall, Anti-Illicit Trade Manager, Imperial Brands, said:

    “Honest retailers are being undermined every day by illegal operators selling illicit and unregulated products.

    “Stronger enforcement is essential to protect those doing the right thing and to restore a fair playing field across the high street.

    “We welcome this action and will continue working with retailers and authorities to help tackle illicit trade.”

    He continued: “As a business committed to the highest possible standards in manufacture and retail practice, we have always stood with ethical retailers who do the right thing when it comes to sourcing and selling tobacco and nicotine products.”

    Illicit tobacco and nicotine products are increasingly being sold through a range of outlets, including some convenience stores, vape shops and other high street premises.

    This impacts not only customers, suppliers and government revenues but also the viability of legitimate local retailers, many of whom are already operating in a challenging economic environment.

    Imperial Brands continues to work closely with Trading Standards, law enforcement agencies and retailers to raise awareness, support compliance and help identify illegal activity.

    The company says sustained enforcement, combined with retailer education and collaboration, will be key to tackling the issue long term and protecting responsible businesses. As illicit trade becomes increasingly organised and sophisticated, robust enforcement and meaningful penalties are essential to protect legitimate retailers and local communities.

    Imperial Brands has long called for stronger enforcement action, tougher penalties, and greater support for Trading Standards to help tackle illicit trade and protect responsible retailers.

    Imperial Brands strongly encourage retailers to report any potential illicit trade activity in their area to our sales teams, who can then report it on our dedicated trade platform. Alternatively, retailers can contact us directly through email suspectit.reportit@uk.imptob.com or our anti-illicit trade hotline on 0800 049 5992. 

    [1] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce3pzwx449no

  • Singapore’s Illicit Vape Trade Generated $8.1M Despite Ban

    Singapore’s Illicit Vape Trade Generated $8.1M Despite Ban

    A new report by the EU-ASEAN Business Council and Euromonitor International estimates Singapore’s illegal vape market generated S$10.4 million ($8.1 million) in revenue between 2024 and 2025, contributing to roughly S$156 million ($121.7 million) in lost government revenue from illicit tobacco sales. Despite Singapore’s 2018 vaping ban and stricter penalties, authorities continue to intercept large shipments, including a February seizure of e-vapes worth over S$1.1 million ($858,000). Singapore Customs also reported sharp rises in duty-unpaid cigarette seizures in 2024 and 2025, underscoring the persistence of illicit trade even as the country maintains one of the region’s lowest rates of illegal cigarette consumption.

  • Philippines Flagged ‘Elevated Risk’ for Illicit Cigarettes as Price Gaps Grow

    Philippines Flagged ‘Elevated Risk’ for Illicit Cigarettes as Price Gaps Grow

    The Philippines has been identified as an “elevated risk” market for illicit cigarettes, with illegal products accounting for 25.3% of total sales last year and projected to rise to 28.9% by 2028, according to a Euromonitor International study commissioned by the EU-ASEAN Business Council. The report estimates the government lost nearly $980 million in 2024 and about $1.1 billion last year due to the illicit cigarette trade, while illegal e-vapes, which make up 86% of the market, caused an additional P23 billion ($400 million) in losses from 2024 to 2025.

    Researchers cited price-sensitive consumers, porous maritime borders, established regional smuggling routes, annual excise tax hikes of 5%, and enforcement challenges as key drivers, with illicit products increasingly imported from neighboring ASEAN states and China. The study also highlighted the growing role of digital platforms such as Telegram, WhatsApp, and Facebook Marketplace in distributing illegal tobacco, alongside traditional sari-sari stores and street vendors, and warned that paper-based tax stamps are easily counterfeited, recommending a shift toward digital tax verification systems to better protect revenues and track the trade.

  • Maldives Customs Seizes 2.3M Smuggled Cigarettes

    Maldives Customs Seizes 2.3M Smuggled Cigarettes

    Authorities at the Maldives Customs Service intercepted more than 2.3 million smuggled cigarette sticks during an operation at the Malé Commercial Harbor last week, uncovering over 230 cases of illicit tobacco products with an estimated street value exceeding MVR 32 million ($2.1 million). Officials did not disclose further operational details, but the seizure comes amid a noted surge in cigarette smuggling following recent hikes in tobacco import duties. The case also follows earlier incidents involving charges over the theft of a container holding previously confiscated cigarettes, underscoring growing enforcement challenges tied to the expanding black market for tobacco in the Maldives.

  • MALAYSIA VAPE INDUSTRY WARNS OF $150 MILLION ANNUAL TAX REVENUE LOSS IF 15ML PRODUCTS ARE HASTILY BANNED

    MALAYSIA VAPE INDUSTRY WARNS OF $150 MILLION ANNUAL TAX REVENUE LOSS IF 15ML PRODUCTS ARE HASTILY BANNED

    Malaysia’s local vape industry has warned that any abrupt move to ban 15ml vape products under the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024 (Act 852) could cost the country more than RM600 million ($150 million) in annual tax revenue, while putting thousands of Malaysian jobs at risk.

    Local vape companies have collectively invested tens of millions of ringgit since Act 852 was introduced, including product registration with the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH), SIRIM certification, excise duty payments, establishment of local manufacturing facilities, laboratory testing, and compliance with safety and labelling standards.

    Mohamad Nizam Talib, President of the Malaysian E-Vaporizers and Tobacco Alternatives Association (MEVTA), stressed that the industry had taken significant steps to comply with every regulatory requirement since Act 852 came into force.

    “We have followed the law and made substantial investments to ensure our products meet government standards. Now, out of nowhere, there are proposals to eliminate the 15ml product category, without any reasonable transition period. This does not just affect the industry. It affects national revenue and the livelihoods of Malaysians,” he said.

    Based on current estimates, there are approximately 1.5 million vape users in Malaysia, with around 70% using liquid-based vape systems. Average consumption is estimated at roughly eight bottles per month.

    At a tax rate of RM6 per 15ml bottle, the government is estimated to collect approximately RM50 million ($12.5 million) in tax revenue each month or more than RM600 million annually from this product category alone.

    A hasty ban on 15ml products would not only risk crippling the legitimate local industry, but could also fuel a surge in smuggling, accelerate black market growth, undermine regulatory control, and open the door to untaxed and unregulated products flooding the market.

    “Consumer demand does not simply disappear when legal products are taken off the shelf. Users will turn to the black market for unregulated and untaxed alternatives that fall entirely outside the government’s oversight,” Nizam added.

    The industry also raised concerns about the patchy enforcement of Act 852, noting that online sales remain rampant, unregistered products are still readily available, and the misuse of vape products containing prohibited substances, including synthetic drugs, is on the rise.

    The real driver of vape misuse, the industry argued, is the illegal market and underground products that sit completely outside any regulatory framework, not the legitimate, registered products currently being targeted.

    At the same time, the industry highlighted what it described as a glaring policy inconsistency: open system devices remain permitted, taxes continue to be collected, and SIRIM certifications are still being approved, yet the legally manufactured vape liquids designed for use with these very devices are now being proposed for elimination.

    “If the devices are still legal, why are legitimate vape liquids being singled out for a ban? This sends deeply mixed signals to investors and the industry,particularly given the significant investments that have been made to meet all government requirements,” Nizam said.

    Malaysia’s local vape industry is estimated to employ more than 8,000 workers in manufacturing and over 15,000 in retail, with thousands more supporting jobs throughout the broader supply chain.

    A significant portion of industry players are young entrepreneurs and Bumiputera business owners who have built their businesses through legal channels over the past few years.

    Against a backdrop of economic uncertainty and rising retrenchment cases across multiple sectors, any drastic action against the vape industry would further strain employment opportunities for Malaysians.

    The industry also claimed that no meaningful consultation had been conducted with the relevant economic ministries and agencies, including the Ministry of Finance, the Royal Malaysian Customs Department, the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN), and the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI), before the proposal to eliminate 15ml products was tabled.

    In light of this, the industry is calling on the Prime Minister to intervene directly to ensure that any policy changes properly account for the economic implications, national revenue, investment stability, and the risk of a growing black market that will become increasingly difficult to rein in.

  • CTP Director Touts Progress, Future in Statement

    CTP Director Touts Progress, Future in Statement

    The FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products says it has made significant progress in streamlining the review of premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs), reducing its backlog by approximately 70% in 2025 and eliminating the queue for initial acceptance review. In a statement dated May 7 and released today (May 13), acting Director Bret Koplow said new efficiencies are allowing applications to move into review almost immediately, while accelerated filing and scientific review processes—particularly for nicotine pouches and electronic nicotine delivery systems—are helping bring compliant products to market more quickly.

    Koplow also highlighted the success of a pilot program for nicotine pouch applications, which led to authorizations for six products within three months, a record pace for the agency. The FDA plans to apply lessons from the pilot more broadly, including expedited review for product modifications and increased real-time communication with applicants, signaling a shift toward faster but still science-based regulatory decision-making in the nicotine category.

    Read the full release here.

  • Maryland Adds Two Tobacco-Related Laws

    Maryland Adds Two Tobacco-Related Laws

    Maryland Governor Wes Moore signed two tobacco-related bills aimed at expanding regulatory oversight and tightening control of vaping products, both set to take effect on October 1. Senate Bill 279 grants Baltimore City new authority to enact and enforce local regulations on cigarettes, tobacco products, and electronic smoking devices that are at least as stringent as state law, marking a shift toward greater local control and potentially creating stricter rules at the city level. The measure also introduces local licensing requirements, with partial fee sharing with the state, and has drawn mixed reactions from public health advocates and industry groups concerned about regulatory fragmentation.

    Senate Bill 249 introduces additional licensure requirements for businesses that manufacture, distribute, or sell electronic smoking devices, aiming to improve oversight and tax compliance in the vape market. The legislation targets gaps in enforcement, with officials noting that a significant portion of retailers have been improperly taxing these products.

  • Germany Plans to Ban Disposable E-Cigs

    Germany Plans to Ban Disposable E-Cigs

    Germany is preparing legislation to ban disposable e-cigarettes, with Environment Minister Carsten Schneider last week citing safety and environmental concerns as the primary drivers. The government plans to introduce a draft bill in the coming months that would effectively end sales of single-use vapes, following reports of increased fires at waste facilities linked to improperly discarded devices.

    Officials said the lithium-ion batteries in disposable e-cigarettes pose a risk when crushed during waste processing, endangering workers and infrastructure. The proposed ban also aligns with broader environmental goals, as authorities seek to address the growing impact of electronic waste and improve recycling outcomes.

  • Finland’s Kokoomus Plans Generational Tobacco Ban

    Finland’s Kokoomus Plans Generational Tobacco Ban

    Finland’s National Coalition Party (Kokoomus) proposed a generational tobacco ban as part of its long-term policy platform, aiming to prohibit tobacco sales from 2030 to individuals born in 2015 or later. The proposal, included in a broader program outlining policy goals through 2040, will be voted on at the party’s congress in June.