IQOS Smoking Room at Manila International Airport

Industry Insight by Ellesmere Zhu

Oct.31.2022

“Heated Tobacco only” as the IQOS brand may imply, guests in the room were all smoking traditional cigarettes.

Article by Ellesmere Zhu | photo by David Yu

2FIRSTS correspondent notices that in the international departure of Manila International Airport lies a smoking room labeled IQOS, an HTP brand of PMI.

IQOS Smoking Room at Manila International Airport

The room was not crowded but always occupied as people went in and out. “HTP only” as the IQOS brand may imply, guests in the room were all smoking traditional cigarettes.

IQOS Smoking Room at Manila International Airport

IQOS Smoking Room at Manila International Airport

#Africa #Egypt #Regulation

*This article is an original article of 2FIRSTS Technology Co., Ltd. The copyright and license rights belong to the company. Any entity or individual shall make link and credit 2FIRSTS when taking actions to copy, reprint or distribute the original article. The company retains the right to pursue its legal responsibility.

China Tobacco Regulation Shift：Policy Updates and Market Impact

China Tobacco Regulation Shift：Policy Updates and Market Impact

From Product Innovation to Integrated Solutions: NEXTECH Expands Its Global Heated Tobacco Solutions

From Product Innovation to Integrated Solutions: NEXTECH Expands Its Global Heated Tobacco Solutions

NEXTECH launched its NEXE Pro circumferential-heating tobacco stick globally at InterTabac 2026, as the company expands from product innovation into broader heated tobacco solutions. Amid intensifying competition across global HTP markets, NEXTECH is strengthening its R&D, manufacturing and pre-launch support capabilities to serve different types of business customers.

Industry Insight

New York’s 75% Wholesale Tax on Nicotine Pouches Takes Effect Sept. 1, With Aug. 31 Inventory Subject to Floor Tax

New York’s 75% Wholesale Tax on Nicotine Pouches Takes Effect Sept. 1, With Aug. 31 Inventory Subject to Floor Tax

New York State will extend its tobacco products tax to “alternative nicotine products,” including tobacco-free nicotine pouches, from September 1, 2026, at a rate of 75% of the wholesale price. Distributors, wholesalers and retailers must also inventory products held as of 11:59 p.m. on August 31 and pay a floor tax. Vapor products are excluded from the new category and remain subject to New York's separate 20% supplemental sales tax on the retail price.

Smoore Seeks to Toss CCELL Price-Fixing Claim as Court Weighs Vertical Distribution Versus Horizontal Conspiracy

Smoore Seeks to Toss CCELL Price-Fixing Claim as Court Weighs Vertical Distribution Versus Horizontal Conspiracy

Smoore and four authorized U.S. CCELL distributors are asking a California federal court to permanently dismiss a core antitrust claim brought by direct purchasers. Plaintiffs allege that Smoore coordinated minimum wholesale prices, customer allocation and limits on price competition among distributors, amounting to a per se unlawful horizontal conspiracy. The defendants say the alleged conduct reflects ordinary vertical relationships between a manufacturer and its distributors. The court previously dismissed a similar claim, and the latest dispute centers on whether the second amended complaint adds sufficient facts to establish a horizontal agreement.

Zhang Xiaotang Appointed Deputy Director of China’s Tobacco Regulator, Adding Another Finance-Background Official to Top Leadership

Zhang Xiaotang Appointed Deputy Director of China’s Tobacco Regulator, Adding Another Finance-Background Official to Top Leadership

China’s State Council has appointed Zhang Xiaotang as deputy director of the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration, with the regulator’s official website now listing him as a Party leadership group member and deputy director. Zhang previously led Hebei China Tobacco and earlier headed the STMA’s finance and audit department. His appointment follows the elevation earlier this year of former tax official Yao Laiying to head the STMA, adding another senior official with a strong fiscal or financial-management background to China Tobacco’s top leadership in 2026.

PMI Global R&D Chief Meets Chinese Tobacco Regulator as China Advances Heated Cigarette Standards

PMI Global R&D Chief Meets Chinese Tobacco Regulator as China Advances Heated Cigarette Standards

Philip Morris International’s global R&D chief Michele Cattoni met Liu Sanjiang, deputy director of China’s State Tobacco Monopoly Administration, in Beijing on Aug. 27. The meeting comes as China advances mandatory standards for heated cigarettes and nicotine pouches, laying groundwork for their domestic introduction. Cattoni has held senior roles in PMI’s heated tobacco development, while China’s draft standard covers multiple heating architectures, including systems similar in principle to PMI’s IQOS ILUMA technology.

Russia’s Vape Device Labeling Regime Enters Force: Registration Starts in September, Mandatory Coding in December

Russia’s Vape Device Labeling Regime Enters Force: Registration Starts in September, Mandatory Coding in December

Russia's digital labeling regime for reusable e-cigarettes and similar personal vaping devices entered its first mandatory phase in September 2026. From September 1, manufacturers, importers and other market participants must register with the national Chestny ZNAK tracking system. From December 1, newly manufactured and imported covered devices will be required to carry digital identification codes and be reported as entering circulation. Russia has also issued new operational guidance for imports, marking the transition from a voluntary pilot to phased mandatory implementation.

Related Topics

Related Read

From Product Innovation to Integrated Solutions: NEXTECH Expands Its Global Heated Tobacco Solutions

From Product Innovation to Integrated Solutions: NEXTECH Expands Its Global Heated Tobacco Solutions

New York’s 75% Wholesale Tax on Nicotine Pouches Takes Effect Sept. 1, With Aug. 31 Inventory Subject to Floor Tax

New York’s 75% Wholesale Tax on Nicotine Pouches Takes Effect Sept. 1, With Aug. 31 Inventory Subject to Floor Tax

Smoore Seeks to Toss CCELL Price-Fixing Claim as Court Weighs Vertical Distribution Versus Horizontal Conspiracy

Smoore Seeks to Toss CCELL Price-Fixing Claim as Court Weighs Vertical Distribution Versus Horizontal Conspiracy

Zhang Xiaotang Appointed Deputy Director of China’s Tobacco Regulator, Adding Another Finance-Background Official to Top Leadership

Zhang Xiaotang Appointed Deputy Director of China’s Tobacco Regulator, Adding Another Finance-Background Official to Top Leadership

PMI Global R&D Chief Meets Chinese Tobacco Regulator as China Advances Heated Cigarette Standards

PMI Global R&D Chief Meets Chinese Tobacco Regulator as China Advances Heated Cigarette Standards

Russia’s Vape Device Labeling Regime Enters Force: Registration Starts in September, Mandatory Coding in December

Russia’s Vape Device Labeling Regime Enters Force: Registration Starts in September, Mandatory Coding in December