China’s tobacco regulator names Yao Laiying as top leader

Combined tobacco and vaping sales in UK convenience stores fell 10.6% year over year in the first half of 2026, making the category a major drag on channel performance, according to retail research organization IGD. Total convenience sales declined 1.2%, while sales excluding tobacco and vaping increased 0.7%. IGD's 2026 category-share figures show tobacco and vaping accounting for 15.4% of convenience sales, compared with 15.1% for alcohol. The organization forecasts alcohol could overtake tobacco and vaping as the largest category by sales value as early as 2027 if current trends continue. IGD expects the convenience market to increase from £48.6 billion in 2026 to £54.9 billion in 2031, a 2.5% compound annual growth rate, or 3.4% excluding tobacco and vaping.

German prosecutors and customs authorities are conducting a criminal investigation into an alleged cross-border organised vape network. Authorities say that between January 2024 and March 2025, four employees of an unnamed Chinese e-cigarette manufacturer allegedly built a network of sales agents and wholesalers that brought more than 7.6 million nicotine disposable vapes into Germany, causing an estimated €33.3 million in excise-tax losses. The manufacturer has not been named. Some products visible in enforcement images have packaging resembling products from FUMOT’s portfolio. European regulatory records from 2024, FUMOT’s public overseas-sales materials and records involving German vape importer and distribution company Zamu-Pro GmbH also show FUMOT/RandM products and German distribution activity during the period covered by the investigation.

Philip Morris International's PMI Business Solutions Philippines has expanded its global business services hub in Makati and plans to add more than 80 positions. Established in 2021 primarily to provide finance and IT support to about 20 markets, the center now employs 519 professionals delivering roughly 600 services across 160 markets. Its functions now span finance, human resources, IT, commercial operations, data analytics, supply chain and project management. PMI says the hub's next phase will focus on AI-enabled and higher-value work. The company did not disclose the size or investment cost of the expansion.

Malaysia's Poisons Board has endorsed Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad's proposal to exempt liquid nicotine used in vaping products from the Poisons List, according to a November 2, 2026, report by CodeBlue. The Board unanimously opposed a similar proposal in 2023, but the government proceeded with the exemption. The Kuala Lumpur High Court invalidated the 2023 decision in May 2026, and the government withdrew its appeal in August. No new ministerial order has been published. The development raises questions about the interaction between Malaysia's two regulatory frameworks and the treatment of RM354.51 million in excise duties collected on e-cigarette and vape products between May 2023 and June 11, 2026.

South Korea's liquid-vape market is showing changes across raw-material imports, product types and sales channels after synthetic nicotine came under the Tobacco Business Act on April 24. Customs data show nicotine-analogue imports totaled 12,126 kilograms from April through August, while synthetic-nicotine imports over the same five months totaled 231,663 kilograms, just 39.3% of the amount imported in March alone. Physical liquid-vape stores tracked in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province fell 9.9%, unmanned outlets edged higher and online sales listings increased from 27,774 to 42,437. Government testing of 105 liquid inhalation products promoted as nicotine-free separately found nicotine in 13 and 6-methylnicotine in 12.

China's vape-related exports rose 4.5% year over year to $2.86 billion in the third quarter of 2026, led by stronger shipments to the United Kingdom as exports to the United States declined. UK-bound shipments increased 21.6%, adding $81.9 million, while US exports fell 5.2%, or $53.6 million. Growth weakened through the quarter, with September exports down 6.3% globally and 37.8% to the US. Nicotine-containing vape products accounted for more than 82% of the quarterly net increase, while device exports were nearly flat. Nine-month exports totaled $7.82 billion, up 4.0%.