Manufacturing Enterprise License (Nicotine for E-Cigarettes)

U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company (USSTC), a subsidiary of Altria Group, announced plans to close its Nashville manufacturing facility by 2028 and consolidate production operations at a new facility in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.

Ahead of World No Tobacco Day, a Nature Health Comment by Robert Beaglehole, Ruth Bonita and Tikki Pang argues that regulated smoke-free nicotine products could help accelerate the global decline in smoking. The authors propose a “smoke-free 2040” goal and call for risk-proportionate regulation distinguishing cigarettes from lower-risk nicotine alternatives.

AIR Limited and Cantor Equity Partners III announced that the F-4 registration statement related to their proposed business combination was declared effective by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on April 22, 2026. Under the arrangement first announced on Nov. 7, 2025, the combined company, AIR Global PLC, is intended to list on Nasdaq in the United States under the ticker “AIIR.”

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced that more than 18 million illegal e-cigarettes valued at over $175 million were seized during “Operation Red Mist,” a joint enforcement initiative involving the U.S. Coast Guard and the FDA. The operation primarily targeted maritime vape shipments originating from China and focused on combating illicit importation, transportation, and distribution activities.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has released its first estimate of the illicit nicotine market, finding that about 80% of cigarettes, vapes and other nicotine products consumed in 2025 came from illegal sources, reigniting debate over tobacco taxation and enforcement policies.

Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada has registered a bill that would ban the use of tobacco products, vapes, hookahs, herbal smoking mixtures and heated tobacco devices by people under 17. The bill was introduced by People’s Deputy Georgiy Mazurashu and has already been sent to the relevant parliamentary committee. The author said one reason for the initiative is the prevalence of vaping among adolescents.