FLER at APE

Fourteen U.S. state attorneys general sent a joint letter dated April 14, 2026 to Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover, asking them to immediately help stop the sale of illicit e-cigarette products by cutting off payment access.

A proposal by New York Governor Kathy Hochul to impose a steep tax on nicotine pouches has drawn opposition from law-enforcement officials and business groups, who say it could expand the state’s illicit tobacco market. The measure was included in Hochul’s preliminary two-year USD 260 billion budget plan and would treat nicotine pouches like other tobacco products.

The Philippine Department of Trade and Industry is planning to impose mandatory product certification on nicotine pouches in an effort to curb illicit nicotine product trade.

Alan Zhao argues that nicotine pouches are no longer a niche alternative, but a force quietly reshaping the future of tobacco retail. For distributors and retailers, the real risk is not missing a trend—it is moving too late, after regulation tightens, shelf space hardens and the market begins to choose its winners.

Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) reported its 2025 results: revenue was 9.036 billion Danish kroner (about $1.407 billion); EBITDA before special items was 1.791 billion Danish kroner (about $278 million); and free cash flow before acquisitions was 595 million Danish kroner (about $92.7 million). Multiple metrics declined year over year, and the company did not meet its Q3-updated guidance for revenue and free cash flow.

Turning Point Brands, a U.S. nicotine and tobacco-related consumer products company, reported its fiscal 2025 fourth-quarter results: quarterly revenue was $121 million, up 29% year over year; adjusted EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization) was $30 million, up 14%. Net revenue from modern oral nicotine products was $41.3 million, up 266% year over year.