PMI Announces Plans to Scale Back Russian Operations

Apr.08.2022
PMI announces steps to suspend investments and reduce manufacturing operations in Russia, as well as plans to exit the market.

Following the announcement made on March 9, 2022, Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE: PM) announced today the specific measures they have taken to temporarily halt investment plans and reduce their manufacturing business in Russia. PMI has taken the following actions:


Philip Morris International (PMI) has stopped offering some cigarette products in the market and reduced manufacturing activities accordingly. It has also halted marketing activities in the country and cancelled plans to launch all products, including its IQOS ILUMA flagship heated tobacco product in Russia by 2022. Plans to produce over 20 billion TEREA sticks (used for IQOS ILUMA) in Russia and invest $150 million have also been cancelled. Additionally, PMI's board of directors and senior executives are exploring options for an orderly exit from the Russian market due to the increasingly complex and rapidly changing regulatory and operational environment.


In the past four weeks, our main focus and all efforts have been to ensure the safety and security of our colleagues in Ukraine. We stand in solidarity with innocent men, women, and children who are suffering. "We employ over 3,200 people in Russia," said CEO Jacek Olczak. "We will continue to support them, including paying their salaries, and we will fulfill our legal obligations. Our priority will be to make decisions based on their safety and security.


As previously reported, Russia accounted for nearly 10% of PMI's total shipments in 2021, representing approximately 6% of the company's net income. PMI is set to release its Q1 2022 earnings announcement on April 21, 2022, which will include updated financial projections for the year.


Philip Morris International: Achieving a Smoke-Free Future


Philip Morris International (PMI) is a leading international tobacco company committed to achieving a smoke-free future and long-term development of its investment portfolio to include products beyond the tobacco and nicotine sectors. The company's current product portfolio primarily consists of cigarettes and smoke-free products, including non-combustible heated, vapor, and orally consumed nicotine products, sold in markets outside the United States. Since 2008, PMI has invested over $9 billion to develop, scientifically validate, and commercialize smoke-free products for adult smokers who would otherwise continue smoking, with the goal of completely phasing out cigarette sales. This includes establishing world-class scientific evaluation capabilities, particularly in pre-clinical systematic toxicology, clinical and behavioural research, and post-market studies. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized PMI's IQOS platform 1 device and consumables for marketing as a modified risk tobacco product (MRTP), concluding that the exposure modifications are appropriate for promoting public health. As of December 31, 2021, PMI's smoke-free products are available in 71 markets, and PMI estimates that approximately 15.3 million adult smokers have switched to IQOS and quit smoking globally. With a strong foundation in life sciences and expertise, PMI announced in February 2021 its ambitious expansion into the healthcare and medical sector, offering innovative products and solutions to meet unmet patient and consumer needs.


Link to original article:


The Philip Morris International (PMI) has announced the specific steps it will take to reduce its business operations in the Russian Federation, as well as its intent to withdraw from the market.


This document has been generated through artificial intelligence translation and is provided solely for the purposes of industry discourse and learning. Please note that the intellectual property rights of the content belong to the original media source or author. Owing to certain limitations in the translation process, there may be discrepancies between the translated text and the original content. We recommend referring to the original source for complete accuracy. In case of any inaccuracies, we invite you to reach out to us with corrections. If you believe any content has infringed upon your rights, please contact us immediately for its removal.

Product | Pixx Nicotine Toothpicks Listed on UK Retail Website, Said to Be Unaffected by Upcoming Vape Tax
Product | Pixx Nicotine Toothpicks Listed on UK Retail Website, Said to Be Unaffected by Upcoming Vape Tax
2Firsts has noted that a nicotine toothpick product named Pixx has appeared on a UK retailer website. The product page describes it as a smoke-free nicotine product, and the packaging image shows “UK MADE.” A nicotine-industry professional wrote on LinkedIn that the UK is set to introduce vape tax changes that may increase pressure on the retail side, and said Pixx is expected not to be included in the upcoming vape tax.
Mar.05 by 2FIRSTS.ai
South Korea’s finance ministry to directly crack down on illegal high-nicotine vape liquids
South Korea’s finance ministry to directly crack down on illegal high-nicotine vape liquids
The report says South Korea’s Ministry of Economy and Finance (referred to as the finance ministry) will directly lead crackdowns on illegal distribution and “upward manipulation” of nicotine concentrations in liquid e-cigarettes, after cases of extremely high-strength nicotine liquids circulating at retail shops were highlighted.
Feb.28 by 2FIRSTS.ai
Editorial says West Virginia’s HB 5437 “Vape Safety Act” goes too far, targeting residency and citizenship provisions
Editorial says West Virginia’s HB 5437 “Vape Safety Act” goes too far, targeting residency and citizenship provisions
A News and Sentinel editorial argues that West Virginia’s HB 5437, the “Vape Safety Act,” goes beyond reasonable regulation by adding provisions barring any part of a vape or smoke shop from being used as a residence and requiring owners to be U.S. citizens.
Feb.27 by 2FIRSTS.ai
Five Inner West Sydney shops shut for 90 days after 780,000 illicit cigarettes and 2,200 illegal vapes seized
Five Inner West Sydney shops shut for 90 days after 780,000 illicit cigarettes and 2,200 illegal vapes seized
NSW Health has shut down five Inner West Sydney stores for 90 days after a major seizure of illicit cigarettes and illegal vapes, with two additional premises in Northern NSW also served closure notices. The action forms part of a broader crackdown that has seen 66 stores closed since new laws took effect in late 2025, with NSW Health warning further enforcement — including prosecution — may follow.
Feb.09 by 2FIRSTS.ai
South Korea Postal Service Launches Heated Tobacco Device Recycling Program Through Nationwide Post Offices and Mailboxes
South Korea Postal Service Launches Heated Tobacco Device Recycling Program Through Nationwide Post Offices and Mailboxes
Korean postal system launches nationwide heated tobacco device recycling through post offices and mailboxes, aiming to increase recycling rates.
Feb.10 by 2FIRSTS.ai
Reuters: More “Made in America” Vape Products Appear in the U.S. Amid Trump Tariffs and Crackdown
Reuters: More “Made in America” Vape Products Appear in the U.S. Amid Trump Tariffs and Crackdown
According to Reuters, the U.S. vaping market has recently seen an increase in products marketed as “Made in America” amid the Trump administration’s stronger enforcement against unauthorized vape brands and increased trade tariff pressure on Chinese goods. Since October 2025, at least eight new vape brands highlighting American credentials have entered the U.S. market, and none of them has authorization for sale. Brands mentioned by Reuters include Maxus Star and OneTank.
Apr.08