IQOS Smoking Room at Manila International Airport

British American Tobacco South Africa (BATSA) said it will halt local production of factory-made cigarettes and close its manufacturing plant in Heidelberg, Gauteng by the end of 2026, shifting to an import-led supply model. The company said illicit cigarettes now account for about 75% of South Africa’s market, making local manufacturing “unsustainable” and putting around 230 jobs at risk.

Serbian logistics company Nelt Group said it has become a distributor for Japan Tobacco International products in Albania. According to the company, the partnership has created 50 new jobs in the local market. Nelt described the move as part of a broader change to its business model in Albania. The group already cooperates with JTI in Bosnia and Herzegovina and expects its revenue to grow by 9% in 2025.

Belgium’s Federal Public Health Service said it has seized 140,019 disposable vapes since the start of 2025. The crackdown follows a ban on the sale of disposable e-cigarettes that came into force on January 1.

Mexico will enforce an absolute ban on the commercialization, import and sale of vapes and e-cigarettes from January 16, 2026, under a reform published in the Official Journal of the Federation (DOF) amending the General Health Law.

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).