DTI Lifts Trade Ban on AEROGIN and RELX, FLARE and Others Still Need PS Certification

Nov.26.2024
DTI Lifts Trade Ban on AEROGIN and RELX, FLARE and Others Still Need PS Certification
The Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has lifted the trade ban on AEROGIN and RELX, while products from brands like FLARE, NIXX, and VAPENGIN still require Philippine Standards (PS) certification before they can be sold.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has officially lifted the suspension on the sale of vape products produced by AEROGIN and RELX.

 

At the same time, the DTI has removed the Preliminary Order/Preventive Measure Order against FLARE, NIXX, and VAPENGIN products. However, the sale of these products will remain prohibited until they secure the necessary Philippine Standard (PS) certification.

 

DTI emphasizes its commitment to ensuring the safety and quality of vape products in the Philippine market through strict enforcement of regulatory standards. Under Republic Act No. 11900 (RA11900), also known as the "Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products Regulation Act," and related regulations, the Office for the Special Mandate on Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products (OSMV) has the authority to take immediate action, including the recall, restriction, or confiscation of non-compliant vape products, devices, or novel tobacco products, following due process.

German Bundestag Passes Tobacco Tax Hikes: Vape Liquid Duty to Reach €0.44/ml, Heated Tobacco Taxes to Rise and Cigarettes Seen Near €12 a Pack
German Bundestag Passes Tobacco Tax Hikes: Vape Liquid Duty to Reach €0.44/ml, Heated Tobacco Taxes to Rise and Cigarettes Seen Near €12 a Pack
Germany's Bundestag passed amendments to the Tobacco Tax Act on October 15, 2026, setting out annual excise tax increases from 2027 through 2030 for e-cigarette liquids, heated tobacco, cigarettes and other tobacco products. Under the Finance Committee's amended bill, duty on qualifying e-liquids will rise from €0.32/ml in 2026 to €0.44/ml in 2030, an increase of 37.5%. Heated tobacco will retain its tax calculation based on 80% of the corresponding cigarette excise duty. The average price of a 20-cigarette pack is projected to approach €12 by 2030, with some brands potentially reaching €14. The legislation is projected to generate approximately €11.8 billion in additional tax revenue over four years and remains subject to further legislative procedures.
Regulations
Oct.19
JUUL Purchasers Ask Ninth Circuit to Preserve Antitrust Classes in Case Over Altria’s $12.8 Billion Investment
JUUL Purchasers Ask Ninth Circuit to Preserve Antitrust Classes in Case Over Altria’s $12.8 Billion Investment
Private antitrust litigation stemming from Altria's 2018 $12.8 billion investment for a 35% economic interest in JUUL is advancing before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Direct purchasers, indirect purchasers and indirect resellers of JUUL products filed answering briefs this week seeking to preserve class certifications granted by a California federal court in February. Altria and JUUL argue that individual consumers and large distributors differ too much in purchasing terms to remain in a single direct-purchaser class, while a separate dispute concerns whether California antitrust law can apply to indirect purchasers across 27 jurisdictions. A September trial has been put on hold during the appeal.
Sep.23
Product | JT to Launch MEVIUS Tropical Option in Japan, Expanding Ploom Tobacco Stick Lineup to 32
Product | JT to Launch MEVIUS Tropical Option in Japan, Expanding Ploom Tobacco Stick Lineup to 32
Japan Tobacco (JT) will launch MEVIUS Tropical Option, a new tobacco stick for Ploom, nationwide in Japan from October 6, 2026. The capsule-format product combines mango-oriented sweetness with menthol cooling, adding a tropical flavor to the MEVIUS Ploom tobacco-stick lineup for the first time. Each pack contains 20 sticks and will launch at JPY 590. The product is compatible with all Ploom devices, and its addition will expand the Ploom tobacco-stick portfolio to 32 variants.
Sep.08
UK ONS Data: Vaping Rate Among Women Aged 25–34 Reaches 18.3%, Compared With 14.4% for Men
UK ONS Data: Vaping Rate Among Women Aged 25–34 Reaches 18.3%, Compared With 14.4% for Men
The vaping rate among women aged 25 to 34 in Great Britain reached 18.3% in 2025, up from 13.7% in 2024 and 8.3% in 2020, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The figure was the highest for this group since records began in 2014 and exceeded the 14.4% recorded among men of the same age. Adults aged 25 to 34 also overtook those aged 16 to 24 as the age group with the highest vaping prevalence. Overall, about 5.4 million adults in Great Britain used e-cigarettes in 2025, broadly unchanged from the previous year.
DATA
Oct.13
Couche-Tard Posts Double-Digit U.S. Same-Store Growth in Other Nicotine Products, Led by Pouches
Couche-Tard Posts Double-Digit U.S. Same-Store Growth in Other Nicotine Products, Led by Pouches
Alimentation Couche-Tard said U.S. same-store sales in its “other nicotine products” category grew at a double-digit rate in the first quarter of fiscal 2027, led by nicotine pouches, while overall U.S. same-store merchandise revenues increased 1.7%. The company also said its Canadian nicotine business continued to face regulatory pressure and illicit-market headwinds. The U.S. performance coincides with Couche-Tard's participation in efforts to reopen Canadian convenience-store access to authorized nicotine pouches, though the company has not established a direct causal link between the two.
Sep.14
Japan Survey Finds 49.5% Would Cut Tobacco Use if Prices Rise, 64.6% Show Interest in Nicotine-Free Alternatives
Japan Survey Finds 49.5% Would Cut Tobacco Use if Prices Rise, 64.6% Show Interest in Nicotine-Free Alternatives
A September online survey commissioned by Japanese smoking-accessories company Lightec found that 49.5% of respondents would consider reducing tobacco use if prices rose further, while 25.1% would consider switching to cheaper brands and 14.5% would consider using or combining alternatives such as vapes and nicotine-free herbal sticks. Another 64.6% expressed some level of interest in such alternatives. The survey covered 1,088 respondents aged 20 to 70 and was conducted by a company that sells NICOLESS nicotine-free vaping and herbal-stick products, meaning its findings should not be treated as representative of Japan's smoking population.
DATA
Oct.12