Gregoire Verdeaux, the Senior Vice President of Philip Morris International (PMI), has disclosed in a recent interview that PMI is interested in expanding its investment in Brazil by setting up a new factory in Rio Grande, a city in the southern part of the country. However, this plan is contingent on Anvisa, Brazil's National Health Surveillance Agency, lifting its current prohibition on e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products.
Verdeaux emphasized the nonsensicality of having an export factory for heated tobacco products that are banned within the country and expressed hopes for a nuanced and contemporary debate on regulations. He pointed out that Brazil's 20 million smokers should have access to regulated alternatives. Currently, e-cigarettes in Brazil are smuggled, bypassing any quality check on the substances in the components.
PMI already has a factory in Santa Cruz do Sul, with 1,800 employees, preparing its entire portfolio of products, including Marlboro, L&M, and Chesterfield. As these products expand, manufacturing and production capacity must also grow, Verdeaux added.
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