TobaccoReporter logo

Tag: north carolina

  • Drought Delaying NC Tobacco Crop

    Drought Delaying NC Tobacco Crop

    Improving rainfall eased drought conditions across North Carolina, but tobacco growers continue to face delayed crop development and higher production costs after months of dry weather disrupted planting. Wilson County extension officials said tobacco plants are running three to four weeks behind normal growth, with insufficient moisture reducing transplant survival, limiting herbicide effectiveness, and increasing weed pressure. Farmers are also encountering challenges with sucker control as uneven plant development complicates field management.

    The delays have raised concerns over harvest timing for North Carolina’s largest cash crop, which contributes nearly $13 billion annually to the state’s economy and generated $818 million in agricultural exports in 2024. With tobacco typically harvested beginning around early July, growers now face a compressed harvest window before the first frost, increasing the risk of yield losses while adding labor and irrigation costs that could further pressure farm profitability.

  • July Rains Help N.C. Tobacco Crop Rebound

    July Rains Help N.C. Tobacco Crop Rebound

    Extension agents in Wilson County, North Carolina, said that heavy July rainfalls revived a drought-stressed flue-cured tobacco crop after prolonged dry conditions in May and June delayed crop development by an estimated two to three weeks. Officials said the rain restored soil moisture, allowing tobacco plants to absorb nitrogen and improve growth, although the later maturity is expected to push harvesting closer to the risk of early frost.

    Growers across Wilson, Nash, and Johnston counties reported significant improvement in crop conditions, with many saying the tobacco has recovered dramatically following the rains. While producers remain optimistic about yield potential, they cautioned that saturated fields and the increased risk of disease could complicate harvest as the Wilson tobacco market prepares to open on August 12.

    These counties are the heart of North Carolina’s tobacco crop, which, at an average of 100 to 120 million pounds, typically makes up 55% to 65% of total U.S. production.

  • CAA Gives Inaugural Leadership Award to NC Rep

    CAA Gives Inaugural Leadership Award to NC Rep

    The Cigar Association of America named North Carolina state Rep. Kyle Hall (R-91) as a recipient of its inaugural Leadership in Commerce Award, recognizing his role in establishing the North Carolina General Assembly’s bipartisan Cigar Caucus. CAA President Scott Pearce said the caucus strengthens ties between lawmakers and the state’s tobacco agriculture, manufacturing, and premium cigar retail sectors, while Hall said it will help give small cigar-related businesses a stronger voice in state policymaking. The association, which is backed by registered lobbyists in 47 states, said additional Leadership in Commerce Award recipients will be announced following the 2026 legislative sessions.

  • NC Budget Adds $1,000 Vape Shop Tax, Age Mandate

    NC Budget Adds $1,000 Vape Shop Tax, Age Mandate

    North Carolina’s new $34.4 billion state budget includes requirements for vape retailers, imposing a $1,000 annual tax on vape shops and requiring them to verify that customers are at least 21 years old. Retailers who already follow the federal Tobacco 21 law said the age-verification requirement formalizes existing practices, while the new tax will increase operating costs. The changes are part of the state’s broader effort to strengthen oversight of vape sales and reduce youth access to nicotine products.

    According to ABC News 13, the budget measures have prompted calls from tobacco-control advocates to expand regulation beyond vaping products to include cigarettes, cigars, and nicotine pouches. Advocates also continue to push for Solly’s Law, which would establish a statewide tobacco retail licensing system and align North Carolina’s enforcement framework with the federal minimum tobacco sales age of 21. Retailers say they support reasonable regulations that promote compliance and keep nicotine products out of the hands of minors.

  • N.C. Politicians Call for Relief for Tobacco Farmers

    N.C. Politicians Call for Relief for Tobacco Farmers

    Members of North Carolina’s congressional delegation, led by Representative Don Davis (D-NC1) and Senator Thom Tillis (R), urged congressional appropriators to include tobacco producers in any future agricultural disaster relief package. The lawmakers cited an analysis from North Carolina State University showing tobacco production costs rose about 30% between 2021 and 2025, from $4,148 per acre to $5,398 per acre, compared with an 18% increase across U.S. agriculture overall.

    The letter argues that rising input and labor costs, weakened export demand, drought conditions, and lower commodity prices have placed significant financial pressure on tobacco growers and should be considered when determining eligibility for future farm assistance programs.

  • Union Seeks Dismissal of ITG Challenge in Retiree Health Dispute

    Union Seeks Dismissal of ITG Challenge in Retiree Health Dispute

    A tobacco workers’ union is asking a North Carolina federal court to dismiss ITG Brands’ attempt to overturn a November 2025 arbitration ruling on retiree healthcare benefits. The Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers & Grain Millers International Union (BCTGM) Local 317-T argues the company’s legal challenge was improperly filed and does not comply with required procedures under the Federal Arbitration Act.

    The dispute stems from an arbitration decision issued by arbitrator Dennis Nolan in favor of the union for a yet-to-be-disclosed amount, which ITG Brands is seeking to vacate. The union maintains that, because the filing was procedurally flawed, the court should reject the challenge and allow the arbitration award to stand. The case remains active in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina.

  • FDA Wins Default Judgment Against NC Vape Distributor

    FDA Wins Default Judgment Against NC Vape Distributor

    A federal judge granted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration a default judgment against a North Carolina vape distributor accused of importing and selling unauthorized flavored e-cigarettes from China. The ruling allows the FDA to seek a judgment permanently barring the company from importing, marketing, or distributing the products cited in the complaint after the defendant failed to respond to the lawsuit.

    Because the defendants did not appear, they are not publicly posted in the docket entries. However, in September 2025, the FDA filed a complaint against North Carolina-based distributor Dream Distro LLC and its owner, Faisal A. Alhadrami.  

  • Vape Firms Ask NC Court to Keep ‘Sealed Container’ Ruling

    Vape Firms Ask NC Court to Keep ‘Sealed Container’ Ruling

    A vape distributor and retailer have asked the North Carolina Supreme Court to uphold an appellate decision that cleared them of liability in a lawsuit stemming from an exploding vape battery, arguing the lower court correctly applied the state’s “sealed container” defense. The doctrine shields sellers from product-liability claims when they sell goods in their original, unopened packaging without altering them.

    AMV Holdings LLC and Medusa Distribution LLC say the North Carolina Court of Appeals properly found they could not be held responsible for an alleged defect in a product they neither manufactured nor modified. The plaintiff is seeking to overturn that ruling, contending the defense should not apply in this case.

  • Lawsuit Says Marketing Compromises Chinese Vape Company

    Lawsuit Says Marketing Compromises Chinese Vape Company

    A U.S. plaintiff has filed suit against Chinese vape manufacturer Shenzhen IVPS Technology Co. Ltd. in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, alleging harms linked to the company’s marketing and sales of e-cigarettes in North Carolina. The manufacturer is seeking to dismiss the case, arguing that its operations do not establish sufficient ties to the state for the court to assert jurisdiction. The plaintiff maintains that the company’s active promotion and sale of its products in North Carolina bring it squarely within the court’s reach.

  • Alliance One Tabbed N.C. Exporter of the Year

    Alliance One Tabbed N.C. Exporter of the Year

    Alliance One North America, a subsidiary of Alliance One International, was named the 2026 Exporter of the Year by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services during the state’s Agricultural Development Forum. The award recognizes the company’s role in expanding global markets and exporting high-quality U.S. leaf tobacco while supporting the state’s agricultural economy. State Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler highlighted the company’s contribution to maintaining North Carolina’s tobacco legacy and global competitiveness.