IQOS Smoking Room at Manila International Airport

HSA officers in Singapore staked out a Bishan warehouse after a tip-off and found a Malaysian man in a site containing thousands of vaporisers and components. Checks on his phone led to a second warehouse in Ubi with large quantities of devices and parts.

Thai authorities arrested a 31-year-old man in Bang Bua Thong, Nonthaburi, on January 20, 2026, and seized 17,320 disposable e-cigarettes and a pickup truck. The seized goods were valued at more than THB 7 million (about USD 223,349.62).

The payoff is here: BAT’s Vuse has seized a rare regulatory vacuum to reverse its U.S. slide, capitalizing on a crackdown that seemingly compressed the illicit market to 54%. But the victory is fragile. A record $590 million export shock in October signals the gray market is striking back—pitting a fleeting compliance dividend against a massive inventory wall.

PMFTC, the Philippine affiliate of Philip Morris International (PMI), opened an IQOS flagship boutique on December 19 in the Ayala business district of Makati City, the Philippines. Positioned as a multi-sensory, immersive retail space, the store is designed for legal-aged nicotine users. It features the Philippines’ first IQOS Scent Experience zone and also showcases the upcoming IQOS x ISABEL collaboration.

A group of vape distributors and retailers has sued to block enforcement of a Texas law that criminalizes selling or marketing vape products containing e-liquids made wholly or partly in China or in countries designated as “foreign adversaries” by the U.S. Commerce Secretary. The plaintiffs argue the law violates the U.S. Constitution because only Congress may regulate foreign commerce.

Mexico’s Chamber of Deputies approved a constitutional reform prohibiting the production, import, export, transport, distribution, sale, and advertising of vapes and e-cigarettes nationwide. The law does not ban personal use of such products. Backed by President Claudia Sheinbaum, the amendment to the General Health Law imposes penalties of one to eight years in prison and fines between 11,314 and 226,280 pesos (approximately USD 621–12,430).