HEADLINE

KT&G and Philip Morris Korea are locked in fierce competition in South Korea’s heated tobacco market. KT&G is offering its new Lil Solid Easy at half price, while Philip Morris is targeting youth through music festival campaigns. With just a 1% market share gap, the battle is intensifying.

PMI and its Indonesian affiliate Sampoerna are investing $330 million (IDR 5.35 trillion) to build Southeast Asia’s first smoke-free product facility in Karawang, West Java. As PMI’s seventh global site for next-gen products, the plant includes Asia’s only advanced lab of its kind. It produces devices like IQOS and VEEV and has launched a localized BLENDS line, now available in 20 major Indonesian cities.

PMI US has launched the “Invested in America” campaign to spotlight its $600 million investment in a new ZYN nicotine pouch facility in Arizona, projected to create 500 direct and 1,000 indirect jobs.

The Lahore High Court in Pakistan dismissed over 100 petitions from e-cigarette distributors but ruled that no enforcement actions can be taken before formal legislation is enacted. The court emphasized the constitutional right to conduct business and questioned the legality of police raids carried out without a legal basis.

Nepal’s Patan High Court ruled to lift the ban on e-cigarette imports and sales, stating the Health Ministry’s directive lacked legal basis. In 2023–2024, e-cigarette imports generated over NPR 230 million (about $1.73 million) in customs revenue.

In an interview with 2Firsts, NASTY founder Pak Din explains how the brand quickly rose to the top of South Africa’s vape market by leveraging early planning and a localized strategy, successfully seizing the first-mover advantage in this emerging market.

French standard XP V37-500 for nicotine pouches sets strict guidelines for ingredients, production, toxicology assessment, packaging, and labeling.