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Tag: premium cigars

  • Habanos Announces Habano Festival Dates

    Habanos Announces Habano Festival Dates

    Credit: Timothy S Donahue

    The dates for the XXIV Edition of the Habano Festival, have been announced. The exclusive cigar event is to be held in Havana from Feb. 26 – to March 1, 2024.

    Habanos, S.A., the state-run distributor of global Cuban cigars, said in a release that its annual event is “in an international and exclusive atmosphere,” and it will include a wide-ranging program of activities combining the knowledge of the Habano and the exciting culture, including the ending final evening gala dinner and famed humidor auction.

    “In this XXIV Edition, the best specialists, distributors and aficionados will enjoy all the activities that along with the best gastronomy and music have made this famous event: visits to renowned Habanos factories, plantations, seminars with interesting lectures, exclusives pairings, contests and three very special nights where they will get a sneak preview of the latest Habanos, S.A. novelties,” the release states. 

    Habanos, S.A. is already “working to make this event memorable for the expectations of aficionados with the passion and magic that they have come to expect from each new edition.”

    More details on the Habano Festival will be announced soon and registration will be open to the public.

  • Habanos Operational Marketing Director

    Habanos Operational Marketing Director

    Beatriz Garrido García

    Habanos, S.A., the distribution arm of Cuban cigars, announced today that Beatriz Garrido García has been appointed as the new operational marketing director.

    Garrido has a degree in Scientific and Technical Information. She has been linked to the world of Habanos since 1997, starting as a commercial information specialist for the Operational Marketing Division, according to a press release.

    In 2001, she served as a market intelligence specialist belonging to the Strategic Marketing management.

    Later on, her career was consolidated and in 2009 she was appointed to the position of market supervisor at Tabacalera S.L.U., until 2013.

    She then began to work in commercial management as an international saleswoman. In 2017, she served as corporate director for Phoenicia Trading, the exclusive distributor of Habanos for Africa and Middle East.

    Later, she held the position of commercial director of Cigarte Ibérica based in Spain. Before being appointed as operational marketing director, Garrido served as international market supervisor.

  • New Habanos Vitola for Duty-Free Shops

    New Habanos Vitola for Duty-Free Shops

    Habanos S.A., the state-run distribution arm of Cuban cigars, announced a new size of the Hoyo de Monterrey called the Destinos.

    The new vitola will be exclusive to duty-free shops at travel ports around the world, excluding the United States.

    The Destinos measures 5 and  7/10 (145mm) x 49 and was unveiled during the TFWA World Exhibition & Conference in Cannes, France. This is an event for duty-free retailers.

    “The Hoyo de Monterrey Destinos travel humidor is a perfect choice for Habanos-loving travelers who enjoy thick-gauge vitolas and appreciate the light strength that is a hallmark of the Hoyo de Monterrey brand,” a Habnaos representative told Tobacco Reporter. “This is a great opportunity to enjoy all the aromas and flavors of Hoyo de Monterrey’s blend anywhere in the world.”

    Within the general Cuban naming system, this will be known as the sutiles and is reportedly the first Cuban cigar made in this size.

    It will be available in “travel humidors” in counts of 20 sticks. There was no timeline for release or pricing given.

  • DOJ Appeals FDA Premium Cigar Decision

    DOJ Appeals FDA Premium Cigar Decision

    The premium cigar industry recently declared victory in the fight against oversight by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Celebrations may have been premature.

    The U.S. Department of Justice has filed an appeal on behalf of the FDA for a decision handed down from the United States District Court for the District of Columbia that fully vacated the Deeming Rule as it applied to premium cigars, according to media reports.

    The lawsuit was filed by the Cigar Association of America, the Cigar Rights of America (CRA) and the Premium Cigar Association. The case focused in part on the rulemaking process, which requires the FDA to inform the public about upcoming regulations and solicit feedback on those proposed rules.

    In last month’s decision in Cigar Association of America et al. v. United States Food and Drug Administration, Judge Amit P. Mehta made a sweeping, albeit expected, ruling that granted relief to the three cigar industry trade groups that sued the regulatory agency in 2016 on behalf of the premium cigar industry.

    The news confirms industry fears that warning labels, premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) review of cigars and other limitations that have impeded the ability of cigarmakers are still a possibility.

    Recently, the FDA acknowledged the decision and one of its impacts, telling cigar companies that it did not plan to assess user fees for “premium cigars” sold during Q4 FY23.

    The Department of Justice, which represents FDA on legal matters, had 60 days to appeal the ruling. It’s unclear whether the agency will ask a court for a stay, which could reenact the deeming regulations for “premium cigars” as the appeal process works itself out.

  • FDA: Premium Cigars Exempt from User Fees

    FDA: Premium Cigars Exempt from User Fees

    Image: J A Nicoli

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will not assess user fees for premium cigars in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2024, the agency told manufacturers and distributors, according to Halfwheel.

    The statement follows last month’s outcome of Cigar Association of America et al. v. United States Food and Drug Administration et al., which led to deeming regulations not being applied to cigars that meet the definition of “premium cigar.”

    User fees help fund the Center for Tobacco Products. The amount of user fees is set by Congress; companies that import or manufacture cigarettes, roll-your-own products, snuff, chewing tobacco, cigars or pipe tobacco are assessed fees, and individual shares are calculated based on excise taxes paid on each product compared to the total amount of excise taxes paid by all products.

    The FDA, however, does not know whether a cigar company is selling premium cigars, nonpremium cigars or a mixture of both. Due to this, the FDA is asking companies to submit dispute letters within 45 days of the assessment of user fees. The agency is allowing companies the option of either paying the full amount of user fees with the intent of getting refunded for user fees assessed to premium cigars or paying what the company believes it will owe for nonpremium cigars.

    The FDA has stated that it will introduce a better process going forward, but it has not released information regarding what that will look like.

    There was no mention as to whether the FDA plans to refund user fees paid for premium cigars from August 2016 to the second quarter of fiscal year 2023.