Global E-cigarette Industry Weekly (Nov.14-20)

Global E-cigarette Industry Weekly (Nov.14-20)

1. On November 16, the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration researched and drafted the “Rules for the Management of the Price of Electronic Cigarettes Involved in Cases (open for comments)”
2. Hong Kong's Secretary for Medical and Health, Lu Chongmao, has twice suggested that Hong Kong might tighten its tobacco laws to make them one of the strictest in the world. Banning the purchase of tobacco for citizens born after 2009 is also one of the options.
3. Chan Man Fai, president of the HK Vaping Association, visited 2FIRSTS’s Shenzhen office on Nov. 15. 2FIRSTS conducted an exclusive with Chan on the transshipment ban of e-cigarettes and HnBs to be lifted in Hong Kong. Chan says the lift will not be implemented in half a year.
4. On November 15, He Jianjun, General Manager of Yunpu Jiahang, an e-cig logistics provider, was interviewed by 2FIRSTS. When talking about "Hong Kong SAR to withdraw the ban on transshipment", He said that there are difficulties in implementing this policy, and a more compromise solution is for Hong Kong airport to set up a front warehouse in Shenzhen, linking Hong Kong and Shenzhen customs and opening an airline to ensure that the goods from the front warehouse can directly reach the international cargo terminal of Hong Kong airport, without entering or staying in Hong Kong.

Global

• Statistics show that the market size of cigarette filters will reach 5.7 billion USD by 2029 with a Compound Growth Rate of 7.00%, mainly due to the health impact caused by cigarettes.

North America

• LG wins the case on the vape battery explosion as the judge reckons no direct or close link between LG Chem and the battery 18650 exploded on contact in Ohio.

• According to the latest Nelson convenience store data, Vuse's market share rose from 40% to 40.4 % in the past 4 weeks as of Nov. 5, while Juul fell from 28% to 27.6%. NJoy and Blu plateaued at 2.8% and 1.4% respectively.

• According to IRI convenience store data, sales of smoke-free subcategories (e.g., snus and nicotine pouches) in U.S. convenience stores increased by nearly 6% in 2021. According to recently released figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), sales of nicotine pouches (NPs) in the U.S. have increased 300-fold in the last five years.

Asia

• It’s reported that Japan's smoking rate dropped 42% in the past 5 years. Japan Tobacco International's third quarter results for 2021 showed that domestic cigarette smoking in Japan declined 8.2% in the third quarter, compared to an 8.9% decline in the previous quarter.

Africa

• A preliminary report from the University of Cape Town in South Africa shows that more than a quarter of enrolled students were found using e-cigarettes due to high levels of stress.

North America

• The VTA (Vapor Technology Association) has filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of a petition for a writ of certiorari in a case against a Los Angeles County ordinance banning flavoured tobacco products.

• The FDA issued warnings to three Chinese companies, prohibiting them from targeting e-cigarettes and other products at minors. The warned e-cigarette products feature toys, food, or cartoon characters that the FDA believes are likely to promote youth use.

• The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas has issued an order delaying the effective date of the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) graphic cigarette health warning regulation by an additional 31 days from October 6, 2023, to November 6, 2023.

• A Kansas school board on Monday approved the purchase of 50 e-cigarette detectors to help curb campus smoking.

• Secaucus, New Jersey has again amended its regulations and permits for e-vapour devices and use areas. The ordinance updates the regulations to state that a maximum of 11 permits may be issued for the operation of e-cigarette retailers in the town. The ordinance also adds a section outlining disqualifying violations.

• On Nov. 14 Port Huron, Michigan, police launched a compliance action against businesses selling tobacco and e-cigarette products to minors.

Europe

• Ireland's Health Minister will seek Cabinet approval to ban the sale of e-cigarette products to people under the age of 18 from January 1, 2023.

• The Republic of Estonia may ban the entry and sale of disposable e-cigarettes to prevent new tobacco products from endangering the health of minors in the country.

• Ukraine is ready to systematically combat the illegal tobacco business with a reduction of the state budget by about 0.88 Chinese yuan per pack of illegal cigarettes. In 2022, the total loss of the state budget for illegal cigarettes is estimated to have reached about 3.986 billion Chinese yuan.

• Three Baltic States met for two days in Lithuania and signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) agreeing on a common intent to develop policies on alcohol, tobacco, and the promotion of good nutrition. Among the highlights was the desire to reduce nicotine consumption, particularly the consumption of e-cigarettes by young people.

Asia

• South Korea is cracking down on e-cigarette tax evaders. South Korea Customs said it has developed a high-precision analysis method that identifies whether the nicotine contained in e-cigarette oil is extracted from natural tobacco or manufactured in a laboratory.

Oceania

• Tobacco harm reduction experts have found serious flaws in the New Zealand government's plan to achieve its 2025 smoke-free goal. The problem is that the trial design has little to do with a population-wide regulatory intervention to de-nicotine the population, and its findings simply do not transfer to the legislative model.

Africa

• The Moroccan government voted to adopt the fiscal law of 2023. The new fiscal bill adds new taxes on e-cigarettes and hookahs, with import duties increasing from 2.5% to 40%.

• Morocco plans to raise taxes on e-cigarettes and hookahs, a tax that would mean that for every kilogram of hookah material, consumers would pay 675 dirhams (about 445 yuan).

RELX

• At 5:00 p.m. ET on November 16 (16:00 GMT on November 16), Wuxin Technology Co., Ltd. (RELX) reported its 2022 third quarter results on Nasdaq. Net revenue was RMB 1,044.4 million, down 37.7% from RMB 1,676.7 million in the same quarter last year. Gross margin was 50%, up 10.9% from 39.1% in the same quarter last year.

BAT

• BAT has invested £48.2 million ($57.4 million) in Charlotte's Web Holdings. Charlotte's Web, which is based in Colorado, USA, and listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, offers cannabinoid extract health products.

PMI

• PMI will invest in the production of IQOS in Indonesia, the second PMI plant in Asia and the eighth in the world. PMI's first Asian plant is located in South Korea.

R.J. Reynolds

• According to Nelson Convenience Stores, Reynolds said Vuse's market share rose to 40.4 percent from 40 percent in the previous report.

Imperial Brands

• Imperial Brands reports a 0.7% decline in reported net income, driven by unfavourable foreign exchange, in fiscal 2022.

• Imperial Brands withdrew from the Russian market due to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, causing its turnover to fall by 14% year-on-year and reducing the company's revenue by almost £400 million.

Juul

• Juul Labs Inc. has secured financing to stay afloat. The new financing comes from two of Juul's early investors: Hyatt head Nicholas Pritzker and San Francisco private equity specialist Riaz Valani, according to an insider.