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  • Cyprus Retailers Warn Tax Hikes Could Boost Illicit Tobacco Trade

    Cyprus Retailers Warn Tax Hikes Could Boost Illicit Tobacco Trade

    Kiosk owners in Cyprus are warning that proposed tobacco tax increases could drive consumers toward illegal markets, particularly via the island’s northern region, where price disparities already influence purchasing behavior. Industry estimates suggest that about 13% of cigarette consumption and 53% of rolling tobacco consumption currently comes from the north, with further increases expected if taxes rise.

    Retailers say planned EU-driven excise adjustments could push cigarette prices from around €4.50–€5 to as high as €8–€8.50 per pack, potentially accelerating the shift to untaxed products. The sector estimates illicit trade already costs the government more than €50 million annually and is calling for policy flexibility, stronger enforcement and phased implementation to mitigate further losses.

  • Russian Retailers Pull Vapes Ahead of Potential Ban

    Russian Retailers Pull Vapes Ahead of Potential Ban

    In Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod region, around 550 retailers voluntarily removed vapes and e-liquids from sale amid a broader crackdown on the category and expectations of a future nationwide ban. Regional authorities said the initiative follows a 2025 self-regulation program that encouraged businesses to exit the vape market, citing concerns over counterfeit products and weak regulatory oversight. Enforcement actions have also intensified, including store closures for violations, as officials signal a shift toward stricter controls and possible federal prohibition of vape sales in the near term.

  • NZ Retailers Want Crackdown to Avoid Australia’s Illicit Tobacco Crisis

    NZ Retailers Want Crackdown to Avoid Australia’s Illicit Tobacco Crisis

    Retail NZ is calling for the government to establish an urgent multi-agency task force to combat the growing illicit tobacco trade, warning that New Zealand risks facing the kind of organized crime activity seen in Australia if enforcement is not strengthened. In a report released April 13, Chief Executive Carolyn Young said black-market cigarettes are now being sold openly in some Auckland shops at steep discounts, undermining tobacco control measures and exposing retailers to criminal pressure.

    Retail NZ is urging coordination between police, customs, and the Ministry of Health, tougher penalties, and an independent roundtable to address the issue, noting that current enforcement is fragmented and sanctions remain low. Under existing law, selling illicit cigarettes can carry penalties of up to six months’ imprisonment or a NZ$20,000 ($11,800) fine, while importing tobacco without paying excise duty violates customs regulations.

  • S. Korean Retailers Brace as Vapes Get Reclassified as Tobacco

    S. Korean Retailers Brace as Vapes Get Reclassified as Tobacco

    Vape shop owners across South Korea say upcoming changes to the Tobacco Business Act could force many of them out of business as synthetic nicotine liquids are reclassified as cigarettes starting April 24. Stores that operated for years outside the tobacco retail system must now qualify as designated tobacco sellers, a process retailers describe as nearly impossible due to strict location and licensing limits already filled by convenience stores and established outlets.

    Trade groups, including the Korea Electronic Tobacco Industry Association, say numerous specialty vape shops are preparing to close rather than attempt to register, as they are unlikely to obtain authorization. Retailers also warn that cigarette-level taxes on synthetic nicotine products will drive up prices and shrink demand, while pushing consumers toward unregulated nicotine-free or pseudo-nicotine liquids sold online. Many shop owners argue that the law corrects a past regulatory gap but does so in a way that sidelines small businesses that grew under the previous framework, leaving them with little path to remain in the legal market.

  • Dutch Retailers Keep Selling Illegal Vapes Despite Fines

    Dutch Retailers Keep Selling Illegal Vapes Despite Fines

    Hundreds of retailers across the Netherlands continue selling illegal flavored vapes and supplying minors despite repeated penalties, according to reporting by RTL Nieuws based on enforcement data from the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority. Records show 244 businesses were fined at least twice over four years, with 72 receiving five fines and six racking up 10 or more; one seller was issued a 14th fine during an inspection observed by reporters and said stopping sales was “not worth it.”

    Inspectors say nearly half of vape checks ended in a fine or warning, but current penalties — ranging from €1,360 for a first offense to a maximum cumulative €22,500 — are failing to deter persistent violators. Administrative law professor Herman Bröring of the University of Groningen told RTL the system is “not working well enough,” while NVWA officials acknowledged sellers are increasingly hiding stock to evade checks as the agency adapts its inspection tactics.

  • Tasmanian Retailers Demand Tobacco Tax Overhaul

    Tasmanian Retailers Demand Tobacco Tax Overhaul

    Tasmania’s independent retailers are calling on the Australian government to overhaul its tobacco excise strategy, warning that the black market has spiraled “beyond control.” Tasmania Independent Retailers (TIR), representing 80 IGA and IGA-branded stores, said illicit cigarettes are being sold for as little as A$10 per pack ($7), compared with A$40–50 ($28–35) for legal products, fueling organized crime and undercutting legitimate retailers.

    TIR chair Michael Baxter criticized the government for persisting with high excise rates and heavy enforcement spending while failing to curb illegal sales, citing unregulated menthol products and weak age checks as risks to youth. Federal excise revenue has dropped from over A$16 billion ($11.2 billion) in 2019 to about A$7.4 billion ($5.2 billion) currently, and 2025 research by FTI Consulting estimates that illicit tobacco now accounts for roughly half of all cigarettes consumed in Australia. Baxter called for recalibrated excise settings and more targeted enforcement, labeling current policy “a disaster” that has left the government effectively losing control of the market.

  • Guam Tobacco Retail Compliance Tops 97%

    Guam Tobacco Retail Compliance Tops 97%

    Compliance inspections found that 97.1% of Guam tobacco retailers complied with laws prohibiting sales to minors in 2025, according to data released January 5 by the Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center (GBHWC) and the Department of Revenue and Taxation (DRT). The compliance rate increased from 94.8% in 2024, well above the federally required minimum of 80% under the Synar Amendment.

    Out of 277 eligible retailers inspected, only eight were cited for selling tobacco or disposable ENDS products to minors ages 16–20, and one retailer failed to post a required “No Sale Under 21” sign. The nine establishments received citations ranging from $2,000 to $4,000.

    Officials credited strong enforcement and education efforts, including GBHWC’s Merchant Education Outreach Program, launched in 2025, which provides door-to-door education and compliance resources.

  • Irish Retailers Lose Fight Against ‘Irrational’ License Fees

    Irish Retailers Lose Fight Against ‘Irrational’ License Fees

    A retailers’ group failed in a High Court challenge against Ireland’s new licensing fees of up to €1,800 for selling tobacco and nicotine products. Justice Rory Mulcahy ruled that the former health minister acted lawfully in setting the fees under the Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Act 2023, finding the charges were justified on public health grounds and not arbitrary.

    The new regime, effective from February, replaces a one-off €50 registration fee with renewable annual fees of €1,800 for tobacco and nicotine products, €1,000 for tobacco only, or €800 for nicotine products only. The court rejected claims that the fees were irrational or disproportionately harmful to small retailers, noting that discouraging tobacco sales would not make the regulations unlawful.

  • Survey: UK Vape Bill Threatens Corner Shops

    Survey: UK Vape Bill Threatens Corner Shops

    A survey of 500 UK corner shops revealed that one in 10 owners would consider closing their business if the Tobacco and Vapes Bill is enacted. The survey, commissioned by retailer platform C-Talk, found that 79% of shop owners view the Bill as an unprecedented threat, with 35% planning to reduce staff hours or lay off employees, and 26% considering price hikes to offset losses.

    The legislation, which returned to Parliament earlier this week, proposes banning tobacco sales for anyone born on or after January 1, 2009, and restricting e-cigarette marketing, packaging, and flavors. Retailers warn these measures could push consumers toward the black market.

    In response, C-Talk founder Paul Cheema delivered 1,435 letters from concerned shop owners directly to Business Secretary Peter Kyle, urging the government to consider the impact on local businesses and jobs.

  • FDA’s Makary Wants Retailers to Crack Down on Illegal Nicotine Products

    FDA’s Makary Wants Retailers to Crack Down on Illegal Nicotine Products

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary issued a statement today (September 30) announcing that the organization is launching a nationwide initiative to boost compliance among retailers that sell vaping products, part of a broader effort to address the rise of youth vaping. The campaign is scheduled to reach more than 300,000 stores, including vape shops, gas stations, and convenience stores.

    According to the FDA, as much as 54% of vaping products sold in the United States are illegal, many flavored with fruit or candy, or packaged with gimmicks like built-in video games and Bluetooth speakers. None of these products are authorized for sale, and regulators warn they often contain toxic chemicals such as formaldehyde, lead, and acrolein.

    To help retailers comply, the FDA is mailing educational packets that include a list of the 39 e-cigarettes and 20 nicotine pouches legally allowed on the market, along with QR codes linking to real-time updates online. Retailers will also receive information about the new Searchable Tobacco Product Database, covering more than 17,000 authorized products across all categories, plus a calendar of compliance reminders such as enforcing the minimum age of 21 and checking photo IDs.

    “We know that most businesses want to follow the law,” Makary said in the statement. “The purpose of this initiative is to help retailers better understand relevant laws and regulations, removing any excuses for noncompliance. We are particularly interested in increasing compliance around the distribution and sale of illegal vaping products, which are often marketed to, and widely consumed by, American teens.”

    Mailings will begin this fall, and additional free resources are available through the FDA’s Tobacco Education Resource Library.

    “Retailers are on the front line of protecting youth and young adults from the dangers of nicotine addiction, and we urge them to take this responsibility seriously by swiftly pulling illegal e-cigarettes from their store shelves,” said Kathy Crosby, CEO of Truth Initiative, who points out that illicit products are cheap and easier to get than ever. “Voluntary compliance is important, but it’s imperative that the FDA do more to hold those retailers, distributors and manufacturers who continue to break the law accountable.”

    Read the entire FDA statement here.