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  • Japan’s Heated Tobacco Market Reaches New Milestone

    Japan’s Heated Tobacco Market Reaches New Milestone

    Heated tobacco and other noncombustible products accounted for a larger share of Japan’s tobacco sales than cigarettes in 2025, marking a significant shift in the country’s market, according to Toyo Keizai. Philip Morris International’s IQOS leads the heated tobacco category with about 70% market share, followed by Japan Tobacco’s Ploom at 16.4% and British American Tobacco’s glo at 14.3%, based on Euromonitor data cited by the publication.

    According to the article, Japan’s Oct. 1 tax changes narrowed the price gap between cigarettes and heated tobacco, while potentially tighter regulation could create additional challenges. BAT and PMI have also entered Japan’s nicotine-pouch market, with JT following this year.

  • Netherlands Plans National Vape Excise Tax

    Netherlands Plans National Vape Excise Tax

    The Dutch government is preparing legislation to introduce a national excise tax on vapes, with the measure potentially taking effect Jan. 1, 2029. State Secretary for Finance Eelco Eerenberg said the tax rate has not yet been determined, but the government wants vaping to become roughly as expensive as smoking tobacco. The measure is intended in part to discourage young people from vaping or starting to vape.

    The Netherlands is moving ahead while the European Union considers an EU-wide vape tax. Eerenberg acknowledged that online purchases and cross-border sales could make a national tax easier to avoid, s ying the government would withdraw its proposal if an EU-wide measure is adopted. The legislation is expected to be submitted separately to the Tweede Kamer, the Dutch lower house of Parliament, in early 2027 rather than as part of the 2027 Tax Plan.

  • South Korea’s Tobacco Companies Take Different Strategies on Alternatives

    South Korea’s Tobacco Companies Take Different Strategies on Alternatives

    South Korea’s major tobacco companies are taking different approaches to the growing e-cigarette market, according to Business Post. KT&G is focusing on premium products, Philip Morris Korea is expanding into liquid e-cigarettes, and BAT is strengthening its heated-tobacco lineup as competition in the country’s alternative nicotine market intensifies.

    The article says these strategies reflect broader efforts to expand beyond traditional cigarettes and capture demand for newer nicotine products. KT&G, Philip Morris, and BAT have established positions in South Korea’s heated-tobacco market, while the companies are increasingly broadening their portfolios across different categories of electronic nicotine products.

  • Queensland Legal Cigarette Sales Surge After Illicit Crackdown

    Queensland Legal Cigarette Sales Surge After Illicit Crackdown

    Legal cigarette sales in Queensland, Australia, rose 55% in the first month after tougher enforcement laws took effect in November and remained 40% to 45% above previous levels for the following six months, according to retailer data provided to Australia’s Illicit Tobacco and E-cigarette Commissioner. The increase contrasts with a largely flat national market and comes as Queensland has stepped up efforts to shut illicit tobacco, vape, and nicotine pouch retailers. More than 300 closure orders have been issued in the state since November, contributing to the closure of more than 1,000 illicit tobacco shops nationwide.

    The crackdown is projected to generate A$89 million ($62.3 million) in additional tobacco excise revenue and A$11 million ($7.7 million) in GST over two years, potentially covering enforcement costs. Quitline calls more than doubled in the 10 days following major enforcement operations, while a recent 10-day blitz resulted in 148 store closures and seizures of 11.8 million cigarettes, 1.7 tonnes of loose tobacco, 87,000 vapes, and 270,000 nicotine pouches.

  • Tanzania Orders Tobacco Buyers to Pay Farmers by Oct. 30

    Tanzania Orders Tobacco Buyers to Pay Farmers by Oct. 30

    Tanzania’s agriculture minister ordered tobacco-buying companies to clear all outstanding payments owed to farmers by Oct. 30, saying there is no justification for delays after tobacco has been sold. Agriculture Minister Daniel Chongolo issued the directive Oct. 3 during a meeting with tobacco industry stakeholders in Tabora, where farmers, Agricultural Marketing Cooperative Societies, buyers, and the Tanzania Tobacco Board discussed challenges, including rising input costs, market access, outdated tobacco-drying technology, and delayed payments to cooperatives and local governments.

    Chongolo also said the government has delayed announcing new tobacco input prices while negotiating lower costs for farmers. He directed stakeholders to hold discussions within 10 days to secure more affordable prices and ordered fertilizer to be distributed to farmers within two weeks. Tabora Regional Commissioner Gerald Mongella called for increased subsidies and faster progress on establishing a fertilizer factory in the region. Meanwhile, Tanzania Tobacco Board Tabora Zone Acting Manager Albert Charles said the number of tobacco buyers has increased from three in the 2020-21 season to 18, potentially giving farmers more market opportunities despite ongoing industry challenges.

    Alliance One Tobacco Tanzania announced that it completed payments to growers and other stakeholders for the 2026 tobacco marketing season, disbursing TZS169.7 billion ($64.7 million) across the tobacco value chain, according to Daily News Tanzania. Growers received TZS154.2 billion ($58.7 million) of the total, with the company saying it had fulfilled its payment obligations for the season.

  • Kenya Approves Signature Leaf Acquisition of Mastermind Tobacco Assets

    Kenya Approves Signature Leaf Acquisition of Mastermind Tobacco Assets

    Kenya’s Competition Authority approved Signature Leaf Ltd.’s acquisition of certain assets belonging to Mastermind Tobacco (K) Ltd., which is under administration. The approval was published in the Kenya Gazette Oct. 2, under Gazette Notice No. 15916, following a decision dated Aug. 21 under Section 46(6)(a)(ii) of the Competition Act. The transaction could mark a new chapter for the Kenyan tobacco manufacturer, which stopped production in June 2023 and was placed under administration by I&M Bank in December 2023.

    According to The Kenya Times, Mastermind was founded in 1987 by the late Wilfred M’iti Murungi, a former British American Tobacco Kenya executive, and grew to become Kenya’s second-largest cigarette manufacturer after BAT. Its cigarette brands included Supermatch and Rocket. The company later faced financial difficulties, including a tax dispute with the Kenya Revenue Authority involving reported arrears of about KSh2.9 billion ($22.3 million), and subsequently dismissed about 1,000 employees as its financial position deteriorated.

  • Zimbabwe Urges Tobacco Farmers to Diversify

    Zimbabwe Urges Tobacco Farmers to Diversify

    Zimbabwe’s Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) is urging tobacco farmers to dedicate about 30% of their land to complementary enterprises as they prepare for the 2026-27 season. The board said tobacco should remain the anchor crop, while growers test alternatives such as horticulture, livestock, and food crops to diversify income and reduce exposure to climate and market risks. Zimbabwe is expecting below-normal rainfall this season.

    TIMB said farmers should secure markets before planting, maintain separate financial records for each enterprise, and use existing tobacco infrastructure for other production. Irrigation systems could support crops such as wheat, potatoes, and vegetables, while curing barns could be used to dry paprika, chilies, and herbs. The board also highlighted export opportunities for higher-value crops, including blueberries, macadamia nuts, avocados, citrus, and specialty horticultural products.

    The push comes after Zimbabwe’s 2026 tobacco marketing season recorded 353.8 million kg sold for $882.5 million as of July 17. TIMB said diversification could provide income outside the tobacco production cycle, improve household food security, and strengthen farm resilience under its Tobacco Value Chain Transformation Plan 2.

  • FDA Releases Transparency Roadmap

    FDA Releases Transparency Roadmap

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a press release today (Oct. 2) outlining its Transparency Roadmap that calls for greater disclosure of the scientific and regulatory basis for agency decisions, while protecting confidential commercial information and trade secrets. The Roadmap focuses on five components: complete response letters; investigational stage and marketing application lifecycle disclosures; new approach methodologies and novel biomarkers; patient- and consumer-centered product labeling; and compliance and inspectional records.

    While the new transparency initiative does not directly address tobacco and nicotine products, it could affect industry manufacturers navigating the agency’s premarket review process, particularly as FDA considers changes to its Premarket Tobacco Product Application (PMTA) framework. FDA already publishes marketing orders and related documents for tobacco products, as well as aggregate data on PMTA, substantial equivalence, and exemption applications, but greater transparency could be relevant to how the agency evaluates applications and reaches regulatory decisions.

    The initiative comes as FDA says it intends to evaluate changes to the PMTA framework, citing its experience implementing the current rules, the development of an illicit and unregulated market, and the pace of new product introductions. The agency said a revised framework should provide greater clarity and predictability for applicants.

  • ITGA Seeks Stories for World Tobacco Growers’ Day

    ITGA Seeks Stories for World Tobacco Growers’ Day

    The International Tobacco Growers’ Association (ITGA) is seeking short videos or written messages from members of the tobacco-growing community and wider industry ahead of World Tobacco Growers’ Day on Oct. 28. This year’s campaign, themed “Our Reality. Our Voice. Our Future.,” will highlight the experiences, role, and perspectives of tobacco growers and their communities. ITGA said contributions may include messages recognizing tobacco growers, their role in the sector, or the importance of their voices, and will be shared through the association’s communication channels around Oct. 28. Participants are asked to submit their contributions by Oct. 21.

  • Newsweek Names States with Toughest Vape Laws as CA Plans Ban

    Newsweek Names States with Toughest Vape Laws as CA Plans Ban

    As California moves toward becoming the first state to ban disposable nicotine vapes, Newsweek examined states with some of the toughest restrictions on vaping products. California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Utah have enacted statewide restrictions on flavored vaping products, with Utah removing exemptions for menthol and mint in 2025.

    A separate regulatory approach is gaining ground through state vape directories, which require products to appear on government-approved lists before they can legally be sold. Alabama, Florida, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin have enacted directory laws, according to Newsweek.

    California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed Assembly Bill 762, which prohibits the import and manufacture for sale of covered disposable nicotine vaping devices beginning Jan. 1, 2027, followed by a ban on their sale, distribution, and retail offering beginning Jan. 1, 2028. The law covers single-use devices that are not designed to be reused, but excludes cannabis vaping products, and violations can carry penalties of $500 for a first offense and up to $2,000 for subsequent violations.