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  • PA Defends Flavored Vape Law in Constitutional Challenge

    PA Defends Flavored Vape Law in Constitutional Challenge

    Pennsylvania is urging a federal court to allow enforcement of its statewide restrictions on most flavored electronic cigarettes, arguing that similar laws have repeatedly been upheld by federal appeals courts and are consistent with states’ authority to regulate tobacco and nicotine products. In a recent court filing, the commonwealth said the plaintiffs are unlikely to succeed on their constitutional claims, citing multiple appellate decisions that have upheld comparable restrictions against challenges based on equal protection, due process, and the Commerce Clause.

    Pennsylvania maintains that the law serves legitimate public health objectives and that courts have consistently recognized broad state authority to regulate e-cigarettes, positioning the litigation as another test of the expanding patchwork of state-level vaping regulations.

  • Philippines Requires Nicotine Companies to Register Brands

    Philippines Requires Nicotine Companies to Register Brands

    The Philippine Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) gave manufacturers, importers, and exporters of tobacco and vapor products six months to register their brands and product variants under Revenue Memorandum Circular No. 86-2026, published July 31. The requirement covers cigarettes, heated tobacco products, vapor products, novel tobacco products, cigars, smoking tobacco products, and chewing tobacco products, with companies that fail to comply subject to penalties.

    The updated BIR registry includes 192 entries across 14 manufacturer, importer, and exporter classifications, including 84 vapor product entries, 43 cigarette-related entries, and listings for heated tobacco, novel tobacco products, cigars, chewing tobacco, and smoking tobacco. The BIR said registered products must also comply with graphic health warning requirements and, where applicable, the affixing of BIR tax stamps, although IRSIS stamps are not yet available for novel tobacco products, cigars, smoking tobacco, and chewing tobacco products.

  • Bulgaria Raises Tobacco Excise Taxes

    Bulgaria Raises Tobacco Excise Taxes

    Bulgaria increased excise duties on cigarettes and other tobacco products as its 2026 State Budget took effect Aug. 1. The cigarette excise rate rose from €113.51 to €120 per 1,000 cigarettes, increasing the pre-VAT price of a pack by about €0.13. The government has also scheduled further increases to €126 per 1,000 cigarettes on March 1, 2027, and €132 per 1,000 cigarettes on Jan. 1, 2028. Excise duties on smoking tobacco increased from €121.69 to €130 per kg, while the rate on heated tobacco products rose from €214 to €225 per kg.

    According to Bulgaria’s Ministry of Finance, the accelerated excise increases are intended to boost government revenue and align with ongoing European Union discussions on higher minimum tobacco tax rates. The ministry estimates the higher excise duties and related VAT collections will generate an additional €155.9 million in revenue during 2026.

  • BAT Reports H1 Growth, Raises Confidence in 2026 Outlook

    BAT Reports H1 Growth, Raises Confidence in 2026 Outlook

    British American Tobacco reported H1 2026 revenue of £12.24 billion, up 1.4% on a reported basis and 2.9% at constant currency, with growth led by the U.S. and AME (Americas, Middle East, and Africa). New Categories revenue increased 18% at constant currency to £1.93 billion, driven by Modern Oral and a return to double-digit growth in U.S. Vapor. Smokeless products reached 35 million consumers and accounted for 19.8% of group revenue, while New Category contribution rose 54.7% to £257 million.

    U.S. revenue increased 8.5%, including 58.1% growth in New Categories, while AME revenue rose 0.9% and APMEA declined 6.3%. Modern Oral revenue grew 65.9%, extending BAT’s leadership with a 39.2% volume share in its top markets. Combustibles revenue increased 2.1%, helping fund the company’s transformation. Adjusted diluted EPS rose 7.9% on a Canada-adjusted constant-currency basis, while adjusted operating profit increased 3.5%.

    BAT expects full-year adjusted diluted EPS growth toward the middle of its 5%-8% guidance range and plans to roll out Velo Max nationally and selected adult-focused Vuse flavors in the U.S. during H2.

  • JT Group Reports Strong H1 Performance

    JT Group Reports Strong H1 Performance

    Japan Tobacco Group reported strong first-half 2026 results, driven by pricing, positive volume, and market-share gains in both combustibles and reduced-risk products. Core revenue rose 10.6% at constant currency, supported by a JPY157 billion ($973 million) price/mix contribution and a JPY5.1 billion ($31.6 million) favorable volume variance in Asia and EMA. RRP-related revenue increased 40.7%, while adjusted operating profit grew 18.8% at constant currency.

    Total tobacco volume increased 1%, or 0.4% excluding inventory adjustments. Combustibles volume rose 0.2%, with Winston and Camel volumes increasing 1.7% and 2.8%, respectively, while RRP volume jumped 33.8%, led by a 43.5% increase for Ploom. JT said tobacco market share increased in more than 30 markets, including Japan, the Philippines, Türkiye, and the U.S., prompting an upward revision to its full-year tobacco business forecast.

  • Universal to Report Fiscal Q1 Results Aug. 6

    Universal to Report Fiscal Q1 Results Aug. 6

    Universal Corporation announced it will release its fiscal 2027 first-quarter results after market close on Aug. 5, followed by a conference call at 10 a.m. ET on Aug. 6. The call will be webcast on the company’s website and will be available for replay through Nov. 6.

  • BAT Faces Expanded Class-Action Claims over Natural American Spirit

    BAT Faces Expanded Class-Action Claims over Natural American Spirit

    A divided federal appeals court revived class-action claims against British American Tobacco, Reynolds American, R.J. Reynolds, and Santa Fe Natural Tobacco over allegations that labels on Natural American Spirit cigarettes misled consumers into believing the products were safer than other cigarettes and contained no additives. Yesterday (July 29), the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a lower court’s refusal to certify the 12-state “safer cigarette” class while upholding certification of a separate eight-state class alleging that menthol constituted an additive.

    The case covers consumers in California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, and Washington. The appeals court said the lower court prematurely addressed whether the products’ disclaimer — stating that the absence of additives “does NOT mean a safer cigarette” — was effective. A dissenting judge argued neither class should have been certified and warned that the decision could allow consumers who never read the labels to seek damages. The case returns to the lower court for further proceedings.

  • Experts Call for Stronger Tobacco Control Across Africa

    Experts Call for Stronger Tobacco Control Across Africa

    Public health experts, policymakers, researchers, and civil society advocates from 12 African countries are meeting in Lagos, Nigeria, for a five-day Tobacco Industry Monitoring course focused on “countering tobacco industry interference” in public health policy. The program, organized by the Africa Center for Tobacco Industry Monitoring and Policy Research, is training participants to monitor industry activity, conduct research, and support implementation of Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

    The course covers tobacco taxation, industry document research, political mapping, social media investigations, legal accountability, and the tobacco industry’s evolving harm reduction agenda. ATIM Director Olalekan Ayo Yusuf said multinational tobacco companies increasingly view Africa as a growth market and urged governments to strengthen policies before tobacco use rises. Participants from Kenya, Nigeria, Benin, Botswana, South Africa, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Uganda, Zambia, Senegal and Zimbabwe are taking part.

  • Decision Nears in Brazil’s Tobacco Health-Cost Lawsuit

    Decision Nears in Brazil’s Tobacco Health-Cost Lawsuit

    A landmark lawsuit filed by Brazil’s Office of the Attorney General in 2019 seeking to recover public healthcare costs linked to smoking has reached the decision stage. All legal submissions have been completed, including an opinion from the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office supporting the government’s claims. The Federal Court in Porto Alegre will now decide whether the country’s largest cigarette manufacturers are liable for health damages associated with the marketing and sale of their products.

    The case targets BAT Brazil and Philip Morris Brazil, and their parent companies, British American Tobacco and Philip Morris International, seeking compensation for tobacco-related healthcare expenditures. The lawsuit estimates that smoking causes about 177,000 deaths annually in Brazil and R$75 billion ($15 billion) in healthcare costs.

  • Altria Reports Modest Q2 Growth, Raises Low End of EPS

    Altria Reports Modest Q2 Growth, Raises Low End of EPS

    Altria Group reported mostly flat second-quarter net revenue of $6.1 billion, while adjusted diluted EPS rose 2.8% to $1.48. For the first half, revenue increased 1.6% to $11.5 billion and adjusted diluted EPS rose 4.9% to $2.80. Reported Q2 diluted EPS fell 2.8% to $1.37, reflecting litigation costs, USSTC facility-consolidation expenses, and ABI-related items.

    The smokeable business remained the main revenue driver, with Q2 net revenue up 0.7% to $5.39 billion and adjusted operating company income up 2.4%. However, domestic cigarette shipments fell 3.2%, with Marlboro shipments down 7.4%, while discount cigarette shipments jumped 67.3% as consumers faced continued discretionary-income pressures. Marlboro’s total cigarette-category retail share fell 1.5% points to 39.5%.

    Oral tobacco Q2 revenue was down 5.3% to $713 million and adjusted operating companies income down 8%. Segment shipments declined 8.5%, although the broader U.S. oral category grew an estimated 6% in the first half, driven primarily by nicotine pouches. Altria’s on! shipments increased 5.1% in the first half, and its Q2 retail share rose to 8.6%; the nicotine pouch category itself reached 59.9% of the oral tobacco category.

    Altria said Helix expanded on! PLUS to 120,000 stores nationwide, with additional flavors and nicotine strengths planned for the fourth quarter. The company also returned nearly $3.9 billion to shareholders in the first half through dividends and share repurchases. It raised the lower end of its 2026 adjusted EPS guidance, now expecting $5.61-$5.72, representing growth of 3.5%-5.5%, while increasing expected 2026 capital expenditures to $375 million-$450 million, primarily to support USSTC manufacturing consolidation.