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Tag: NACS

  • U.S. Retail Groups Urge White House to Crack Down on Illegal Chinese Vapes

    U.S. Retail Groups Urge White House to Crack Down on Illegal Chinese Vapes

    A coalition of major U.S. retail and energy associations is calling on the White House to take urgent action against the surge of illegal vape products entering the country from China. In a joint letter sent July 18, the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS), along with Energy Marketers of America, National Association of Tobacco Outlets (NATO), National Association of Truck Stop Operators (NATSO), and the Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers of America (SIGMA), said illicit vapes are undercutting legitimate retailers and exposing regulatory failures.

    The groups blame the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) for poor enforcement and slow product approvals, urging reforms and tighter border controls.

    “The convenience store and travel center industries are facing a crisis of illicit product from China,” the letter said. “Vape and e-cigarette products have been flooding our country for years and drawing business away from law-abiding retailers.

    “We need change at the Center for Tobacco Products and help from the federal enforcement agencies to clean up this mess. We are asking for your help to do that.”

  • Retailers Seek Clarity on Vapor Products

    Retailers Seek Clarity on Vapor Products

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    U.S. retail associations have asked the Food and Drug Administration to provide them with list of e-cigarettes and vape products that are legal to market, reports NACS.

    In October 2021, NACS and five other retail associations sent a letter to the FDA asking the agency to publish the names of vapor products for which it has taken action. In their letters to FDA, the associations expressed the critical nature of this list for their retail members who need to know which products are legal to sell and which are not.

    The FDA formally responded in January 2022, stating that it understands the retail groups request for specific names of products and that the agency is working to update the list with final actions taken on individual products, including those that received MDOs.

    “Given the large number of products involved, sharing this information requires additional time and resources so that the Agency does not disclose confidential commercial information (CCI) about products that are not yet marketed,” stated the agency.

    In a more recent letter to the FDA, the associations said they “can appreciate the immense task of reviewing millions of applications. However, there remains widespread confusion in the marketplace as to which products can remain on shelves and which need to be removed.”

    “While Director Zeller encouraged retailers to contact manufacturers with any questions about products in their inventory, this is not an adequate or fair solution. It places the burden on retailers to verify the marketing status of ENDS and vape products with the manufacturers. Many of our members are small operators who do not have the resources or bandwidth to contact the manufacturers,” wrote the associations.

     “Moreover, manufacturers providing a list does not guarantee accuracy or give the assurance that a verified list from the Agency would give. These retailers stand to face enforcement if they are out of compliance with the law and the only way to ensure they can comply is if they have a verified list from the agency.”

  • TIMB Introduces Natural Air Curing Systems

    TIMB Introduces Natural Air Curing Systems

    Image: THAWISAK | Adobe Stock

    The Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) in Zimbabwe has introduced a natural air curing system (NACS), reports New Zimbabwe.

    The new NACS will help prevent farmers from losing leaf due to lack of space in curing facilities. NACS is a drying technique that forces ambient air through the leaf to attain acceptable moisture content.

    “This significantly reduces farmers’ post-harvest yield losses and ultimately improves farmer viability, profitability and sustainability,” said the TIMB.

    “The introduction of this natural Virginia tobacco product to the Zimbabwe tobacco industry is in line with the Tobacco Value Chain Transformation Plan, which has the farmer at the core of the transformation and seeks to improve productivity and sustainability.”

    “The introduction of new systems and practices will also aid in addressing side marketing.  Farmers’ cost of production will be reduced, increasing profitability, thereby reducing farmer incentive to side market.”

    “Atlas Agri (Private) Limited will be joining TIMB to spearhead this new initiative,” added the TIMB.

  • Tobacco Firms Settle Messaging Dispute

    Tobacco Firms Settle Messaging Dispute

    Several tobacco companies have reached an agreement in long-running litigation brought by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and certain public health organizations regarding the communication of tobacco-related messaging at retail locations.

    The agreement will require Altria, Philip Morris USA, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco and ITG Brands to supply their contracted stores with court-ordered signs that must be posted for 21 months.

    The agreement covers the last remaining dispute from the lawsuit DOJ filed against Altria, Philip Morris USA and R..J Reynolds in the 1990s, according to the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS).

    “This litigation has always put the retailers in a uniquely bad position,” said Doug Kantor, NACS general counsel. “Retailers were not parties to the lawsuit and should not be burdened with a court-ordered remedy, but this negotiated outcome avoids even worse results that DOJ and public health groups were advocating.”

    The agreement provides that each store under contract with one of the manufacturers will have to post at least one sign carrying one of 17 different, pre-approved health messages that will be distributed at random to retailers around the country.

    Each store will be required to rotate to a new message halfway through the time period required in the agreement. The manufacturers will be required to hire auditors to check whether the signs are properly posted. A summary of the agreement explaining the requirements on retailers as well as answers to frequently asked questions about it can be found here.

    A hearing on the proposed agreement will be held in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on July 28 and 29. The court will then decide whether to accept the agreement and enter an order to implement it.

    The timing of the requirements for signs to be posted will depend on when the court decides whether to accept the agreement.