Indiana vape tax to go into effect July 1

According to recent LinkedIn posts from people at VAPORESSO, SMOORE and a German distribution partner, vape brand DOJO will begin rolling out a new global brand identity on September 1, 2026, led by a redesigned handwritten logo. The new visual system will be gradually applied across product packaging, marketing materials and digital assets over the following months. Fabio Corsaro, Head of Marketing and Purchasing at MG Wesel GmbH, said the rebrand was related to trademark issues, but that explanation has not been publicly confirmed by DOJO, VAPORESSO or SMOORE. DOJO is currently promoting its Blast X product in Germany.

IQOS opened its first global flagship, IQOS Flagship Ginza, in Tokyo on September 4, 2026, replacing the former IQOS Store Ginza after nearly a decade of operation. The new location expands conventional product retail into member lounges, digital experiences, art installations and brand programming. IQOS also launched a Ginza-exclusive IQOS ILUMA i PRIME set limited to 1,814 individually numbered units, priced at JPY11,980, or about US$77. PMI Sales Strategy Consultant Yuji M. later said on LinkedIn that more than 500 people had lined up from the night before the opening.

New Zealand Associate Health Minister Casey Costello said legal tobacco sales in the country have fallen by more than half over the past decade, with sales declining more than 20% in 2025 compared with the previous year. She warned that the decline may not fully reflect lower smoking rates, as increased availability of illicit cigarettes could also be contributing. The government said it would continue strengthening tobacco and vape retail enforcement while monitoring the impact of illicit tobacco on public health and tax revenue.

China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) held its July regular press conference on July 31, 2026, releasing the May 2026 Global Economic and Trade Friction Index. CCPIT spokesperson Yang Fan said the global trade friction index stood at 95 in May, remaining at a medium-to-high level. By industry, the electronics sector recorded the highest trade friction index among 13 monitored industries. In China-related trade frictions, the index stood at 93, with electronics products including drones, chips and vape products among areas where friction remained elevated.

A 12-week European Commission consultation on revising the Tobacco Products Directive and Tobacco Advertising Directive is due to close on Aug. 14, 2026. The Commission has identified e-cigarette flavours, disposable vapes, tobacco heating devices, nicotine pouches, nicotine-free e-cigarettes, packaging and digital marketing among areas for possible new EU rules. National regulations already vary significantly across the bloc, a fragmentation the Commission says creates internal-market barriers and distorts competition. No formal revised TPD/TAD legislative text has yet been published, with the Commission currently indicating December 2026 for the legislative initiative.

KT&G has introduced nicotine pouch brand LOOP in South Africa, expanding its modern oral nicotine portfolio. Developed by Swedish company Another Snus Factory (ASF), LOOP is a tobacco-free nicotine pouch brand. KT&G and U.S. tobacco company Altria previously participated in ASF’s strategic development, and the South Africa launch represents a further step in LOOP’s international expansion.