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Tag: JTI

  • JT Reports Record Year with Revenue Up 13%

    JT Reports Record Year with Revenue Up 13%

    Japan Tobacco Inc. (JT) reported record fiscal 2025 results, with revenue rising 13.4% to JPY 3.47 trillion ($22.6 billion) and adjusted operating profit increasing 21.5% to JPY 902.2 billion ($5.9 billion), driven largely by tobacco business growth and the acquisition of Vector Group. Profit climbed 188.9% to JPY 499.1 billion ($3.2 billion), while free cash flow rose to JPY 272.7 billion ($1.8 billion), and the company plans to pay an annual dividend of JPY 234 ($1.52) per share.

    For fiscal 2026, JT forecasts continued growth, projecting revenue to increase 6.6% and adjusted operating profit to rise 7.9%, as it accelerates investment in heated tobacco products to complement its combustible cigarette portfolio and support long-term earnings expansion.

    “These achievements are the outcome of the strategic investments we have actively pursued over the years,” said JT Group president and CEO Takehiko Tsutsui. “In our Business Plan 2026, we intend to accelerate investments in heated products with the aim of establishing them as the second pillar of profit growth, alongside combustibles, in future years. Furthermore, we are targeting high single digit growth at a [compound annual growth rate] in consolidated adjusted operating profit at constant FX, driven by the tobacco business.”

  • JT Applies to Raise Prices of Plume and Wiz Products

    JT Applies to Raise Prices of Plume and Wiz Products

    Japan Tobacco (JT) submitted an application to Japan’s Minister of Finance yesterday (January 27) seeking approval to revise the retail list prices of cigarettes, aligned with the government’s review of the heated tobacco taxation system effective April 1. The application covers all 37 variants of Plume tobacco sticks and Wiz tobacco capsules, marking a comprehensive price adjustment across JT’s heated tobacco portfolio. JT said the proposed revisions are intended to help maintain product quality and brand value while continuing to meet consumer expectations amid changes to the tax framework. If approved, the new retail prices will take effect from April 1, with the company acknowledging the added cost to consumers while committing to further improvements in product quality and customer service.

  • JTI Announces Flores as GM of Global Travel Retail

    JTI Announces Flores as GM of Global Travel Retail

    Japan Tobacco International named Olesja Flores as general manager of Global Travel Retail, according to The Moodie Davitt Report. Flores, a JTI veteran with over 25 years of experience across Europe—including roles in Lucerne, Geneva, Copenhagen, and Vilnius—most recently served as general manager for JTI Switzerland for more than three and a half years. Based in Dubai, she will now lead JTI’s global travel retail operations, citing the city’s innovation and fast-paced environment as ideal for the dynamic travel retail channel.

  • JTI to Launch Four New EVO Flavors

    JTI to Launch Four New EVO Flavors

    Japan Tobacco (JT) is set to launch four new EVO variants for its Ploom heated tobacco line, covering mint, capsule (crushball), and regular (non-menthol) flavor segments, according to Neosmo. The variants—Green Mint, Cacao Mint Crystal, Tropical Lime Crystal, and Sakura Regular—will be sold in 20-stick packs at 550 yen ($3.50) each, keeping the range within the same price band. Two flavors go on sale January 22 and the remaining two on February 3, initially through CLUB JT online and Ploom retail stores. Consumers will vote to select one variant for nationwide distribution, including convenience stores, with results expected in early March.

  • Tobacco Companies Funding €1.1M to Clean Portugal’s Litter

    Tobacco Companies Funding €1.1M to Clean Portugal’s Litter

    Portuguese municipalities will receive €1.1 million a year from the tobacco industry in 2026 and 2027 to help offset the cost of cleaning discarded cigarette butts from public spaces, under a new government decree. Lisbon will receive the largest allocation, €41,153, while the smallest payment of €325 will go to Alvito. The figures apply to mainland Portugal, with allocations for the autonomous regions still to be determined. According to Jornal de Negócios, the decree sets out for the first time mandatory financial contributions from tobacco producers, calculated according to four territorial categories: urban, semi-urban, rural, and beach areas.

    The payments are based on a proposal by Único – Associação de Gestão de Plásticos de Uso Único, a non-profit body licensed since late 2024 to operate Portugal’s first extended producer responsibility system for waste from filtered tobacco products. Único, whose members include BAT, Imperial Brands, JTI, Landewick, Tabaqueira, and Electrão, said the reform makes companies financially accountable for tobacco-related litter. Beyond funding, producers are also expected to support measures to reduce improper disposal, including public awareness campaigns. The decree further requires Único to submit a national study on urban cleaning waste in 2026, in line with EU guidelines, to help determine whether current cost estimates should be revised under existing European legislation that obliges tobacco producers to finance the clean-up and management of discarded filtered products.

  • JTI Tabs Nelt Group for Albanian Distribution

    JTI Tabs Nelt Group for Albanian Distribution

    Japan Tobacco International (JTI) tabbed Serbian logistics company Nelt Group to handle its distribution in Albania, the company said yesterday (December 22). The partnership has led to the creation of 50 new jobs, according to Nelt’s executive director for the Albanian market, Alban Ujkashej.

    Nelt said the move marks a shift in its business model in Albania, with a dedicated local team established to support the distribution agreement. JTI noted that the partnership strengthens its market position in Albania and builds on existing cooperation with Nelt in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Founded in 1992, Nelt Group operates in 14 countries and expects revenue to rise 9% in 2025 to €1.5 billion.

  • JT Launches EVO Honey Lemon for Ploom

    JT Launches EVO Honey Lemon for Ploom

    Japan Tobacco (JT) introduced the EVO Honey Lemon Crystal, a new flavored smoke stick for its Ploom heated tobacco brand, that will be available in Japan beginning today (December 16) through the CLUB JT online shop and Ploom Shops, followed by a nationwide rollout in convenience stores and tobacco retailers on January 16, 2026.

    The EVO Honey Lemon Crystal “combines lemon-flavored capsules with honey sweetness to offer a balanced, dual-profile sensory experience.” It is compatible with all Ploom devices, sold in packs of 20 sticks at a retail price of JPY 550 ($3.70).

    The launch follows recent additions to the Ploom EVO lineup, including Evo Black Menthol and Evo Fresh Mint (released December 1) and a formula upgrade for Evo Cold Menthol in November, expanding the EVO mint range. JT’s Ploom smoke stick portfolio now totals 27 variants, catering to diverse flavor preferences in Japan’s heated tobacco market.

  • Tobacco Industry Alarmed at Bangladesh’s Policy-Making Exclusion

    Tobacco Industry Alarmed at Bangladesh’s Policy-Making Exclusion

    Bangladesh’s three largest tobacco companies—British American Tobacco, Philip Morris, and JT International—issued a rare joint statement criticizing the government’s move to advance amendments to the Tobacco Control Act without broad stakeholder consultation. The companies said several provisions in the draft ordinance are not evidence-based and would create “far-reaching, negative consequences” for the economy, tax revenue, foreign investment and millions of people connected to the industry.

    The firms argued that proposed ingredient bans would threaten cigarette production entirely, while new retail licensing requirements could disrupt sales for 1.5 million small retailers and impact the livelihoods of 150,000 tobacco farmers. They also warned that prohibiting smokeless nicotine and tobacco products would remove alternatives for adult consumers and likely expand an already growing illicit market, citing experiences in India and Australia.

    Industry leaders urged the government to re-engage manufacturers, farmers, retailers, and other affected groups, noting that previous reforms in 2005 succeeded because of inclusive dialogue. With tobacco tax revenue growth slowing and the sector supporting an estimated 4.4 million livelihoods, the companies called for a “balanced and comprehensive solution” to avoid unintended economic and public-health setbacks.

  • Tobacco Industry Alarmed at Bangladesh’s Policy-Making Exclusion

    In a unified statement, the industry leaders, British American Tobacco Bangladesh (BATB), Philip Morris Bangladesh, and JT International Bangladesh, said:
    “While we fully support the Government’s commitment to public health, we believe that the certain measures proposed in the draft ordinance are not evidence-based, and will jeopardize the local livelihoods, further fuel an already growing illicit tobacco market, result in government tax revenue leak, and discourage further foreign investment – ultimately severely impacting an already declining industry.

    “Amongst multiple detrimental clauses, the draft includes an ingredient ban, which poses direct threat to the current cigarette operations in the country entirely. The ingredients included in the proposal for ban are essential for processing, manufacturing, and preservation, and are critical to ensure product integrity. In addition, other business-critical clauses, such as mandating retailers license to sell cigarettes, will impact the current 1.5 million retailers and disrupt the legal sales of tobacco products to the retailers and the operations of associated 150,000 tobacco farmers, until the licenses are made available to all the impacted parties and this requires a fair and transparent process with proper consultation.

    “Furthermore, the proposed prohibition of smokeless nicotine and tobacco products will take away legitimate choices for adult nicotine consumers, who are looking for reduced risk profile alternatives compared to combustible cigarettes, to transition from combustible tobacco. A de-facto ban on these important product categories will further boost an existing illicit market with compromised quality products, as seen in other countries such as India and Australia. The illicit products will not be controlled by any standards to ensure product quality, further increasing the risk for consumer access to these products.”

    “Enacting the proposed Bill without a holistic stakeholder-inclusive consultation poses significant risks to Bangladesh’s economy and public health objectives. We urge the Government to consider the views of manufacturers, impacted farmers, marginalized retailers, hawkers, printers, and others in the value chain, to avoid the negative, unintended consequences caused by these proposed amendments. We are fully committed to collaborating with the Government, alongside other stakeholders, to find a balanced and comprehensive solution.”

  • JT Expands Ploom Aura EVO Menthol Line

    JT Expands Ploom Aura EVO Menthol Line

    Japan Tobacco Inc. launched two new EVO menthol sticks—Evo Black Menthol and Evo Fresh Mint—for its Ploom Aura heated tobacco device, along with an upgraded Evo Cold Menthol variant, Japanese media outlet Kakakumag reported today (December 1). The additions bring the EVO menthol series to three distinct options, offering varying cooling intensities and flavor profiles.

    According to the company, Evo Black Menthol delivers the strongest cooling sensation in the EVO portfolio, while Evo Fresh Mint provides a milder mint aroma with a moderate cooling effect and a prominent tobacco flavor. The upgraded Evo Cold Menthol balances menthol freshness with tobacco body more effectively than before.

    JT has also released a limited-edition Aqua Green Ploom Aura device, complementing the expanded EVO menthol lineup and giving users new design and flavor options.