Globally Reported Tobacco Industry Interference during COVID-19 Pandemic – August - September 2021

This is a continuation of our page on Globally Reported Tobacco Industry Interference during COVID-19 Pandemic and summarises the incidents reported during the months of August and September 2021. This page will be continuously updated as and when incidents related to the respective months are reported.

The Summary of Interference Reported as of 30th September 2021

Table 1 summarises the incidents reported since 13th March 2020, the date of initiation of Lockdown in Sri Lanka, the day we started monitoring Globally Reported Tobacco Industry Interference during COVID-19 Pandemic.

Table 1: Summary of reported TII during COVID-19 Pandemic

Tobacco Company	Reported Countries	Number of Incidents
British American Tobacco (BAT)	South Africa, United States of America (USA), United Kingdom (UK), Brazil, Kenya, Bangladesh, Croatia, Mexico, Nigeria, Honduras, Russia, Malaysia, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Greece, Canada, Italy, Ireland, Egypt, New Zealand, Philippines, Belarus, Belgium, Australia, Iran, Romania, Namibia, Pakistan, South Korea, Uzbekistan, Burundi, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia	174
Philip Morris International (PMI)	Brazil, Costa Rica, Greece, Turkey, Italy, Philippines, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Georgia, Russia, Canada, Burkina Faso, Denmark, Pennsylvania, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Japan, Astypalea, La Graciosa	82
Altria group	United Sates of America (USA), Canada, Switzerland	65
Japan Tobacco International (JTI)	United Kingdom (UK), Bangladesh, Turkey, Malaysia, Philippines, Russia, South Africa, Zambia, Japan, Romania, Germany, Cambodia, Greece, Iran, Luxembourg	61
Imperial Tobacco	Russia, Egypt, Ukraine, Greece, Czech Republic	32
ITC Limited India	India	58
Korea Tobacco Ginseng Corporation (KT&G)	Indonesia, Turkey, Russia, Armenia, Serbia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan	7
Ceylon Tobacco Company PLC (CTC)	Sri Lanka	10
Reynolds American	United Sates of America (USA)	6
Universal Cooperion	United Sates of America (USA)	2
VMR Products	United Sates of America (USA)	2
RJ Reynolds Tobacco	United Sates of America (USA)	4
Godfrey Phillips India	India	4
DJarum	Indonesia	2
PT HM Sampoerna	Indonesia	1
Hongyunhonghe Tobacco (Group)	-	2
7 HILLS Manikchand Products Private Limited	India	2
Deccan Tobacco	India	1
Vinataba Tobacco Company	Vietnam	1
International Tobacco Company	Nigeria	1
LT Group	Philippines	1
China Tobacco	China	3
Gamucci	United Kingdom, United States of America (USA), Asia and Africa	1
JUUL Labs	United States of America (USA)	5
Swedish Match	Sweden	2
Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Corporation (PMFTC)	Philippines	2
Ferio Tego Cigar Company	United States of America (USA)	1
R.J Reynolds Vapor Company	United States of America (USA)	1
Gold Leaf Tobacco Corporation	South Africa	1
Barco Trading Company	Angola	1
Pan Africa Tobacco Group	Angola	1
Company not specified or interference via Front Groups	United Arab Emirates, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, Malaysia, Australia, Lebanon, Senegal, Sri Lanka, France, Myanmar, India, Chile, South Africa, Kenya, Bhutan, Philippines, Greece	40

Week 73: 2nd August - 8th August 2021

• ITC Hotels entered into a partnership with Confederation of Indian Industry, a non-governmental organisation that provides advocacy and consultancies, in order to introduce a Diploma course in vocational training. The course is offered by the EHL School of Hospitality, a hospitality management school based in Switzerland. ITC hotels are owned by ITC Limited India, the main tobacco company in India which diversified their business into other ventures.

Article 5.3 of Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) recommends governments against not to have any partnership with the tobacco industry as it has a fundamental irreconcilable conflict of interest with public health.

• Media reported that Philip Morris International (PMI) increased its bid up to £1.65 billion to purchase Vectura, a pharmaceutical company based in UK that develops inhaled therapies. The investment proposed was £1.05 billion in July 2021 as reported by media.
• Korea Tobacco Ginseng Corporation (KT&G) launched a new e-cigarette device named ‘Lil SOLID 2.0’ in Armenia, Serbia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Media further reported that KT&G expanded their business in the Japanese market as well.
• 14th Bright Leaf Agriculture Journalism Awards was held virtually on 28th July 2021 under the sponsorship of Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Corporation (PMFTC) in Philippines. PMFTC is a joint venture between Fortune Tobacco Company (FTC) and Philip Morris International (PMI). These awards were reportedly “honoring journalists who bring agricultural issues to the fore in the national and regional conversations”. Media further reported that the event was sponsored by the PMFTC since 2010 and by Philip Morris Philippines alone since 2007.
• British American Tobacco Nigerian Foundation (BATNF) was awarded with the ‘Best Sustainability in Agriculture Award’ and the ‘Best Sustainability in Youth and Economic Development Award’ at the West Africa Innovation Awards held in Nigeria. These awards are reportedly awarded to “to promote excellence, creativity, and innovation among brands and brand professionals in West Africa” (Image 1).

Plethora of scientific evidence have revealed that tobacco cultivation negatively impact the environment including leading to deforestation and water pollution; and, aslo, that the tobacco industry targets youth using a diverse range of tactics. Tobacco cultivation and tobacco products negatively impact on economic development globally by causing premature deaths and tobacco induced diseases including cancers and heart and lung diseases. All this leads to low production of food crops and economic harm at household and community levels.

Image 1: Media reporting the British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation awarded with two awards.

• The government of Egypt has postponed the bids opening held by the Industrial Development Authority of Egypt for the license of cigarette manufacturing reportedly based on requests from the tobacco industry. It appears that the Philip Morris International (PMI) only submitted the bid and British American Tobacco (BAT), Al-Mansour International Distribution and Japan Tobacco International (JTI) have requested for an extension of the deadline. Media further reported that one company has requested for separate licenses for cigarettes and heated tobacco products. Further, the government has agreed to change the conditions for the license after biding, including issuing only one license with a validity period of 10 years.

• Market research institutes issued several reports on COVID-19 impact on the tobacco industry this week. Details of ten reports mentioning COVID 19 in the title are summarised in the Table 2.

Table 2: Summary of published market research reports during the week 73

Market research institute	Title of the report	Tobacco companies mentioned
HTF Market Intelligence	COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Smokeless Tobacco Industry Market Report-Development Trends, Threats, Opportunities and Competitive Landscape in 2020	Skoal., Altria Group, Inc., MacBaren Tobacco Company A/S., Reynolds American Inc., Japan Tobacco, Inc., JMJ Group., Dharampal Satyapal Limited., British American Tobacco PLC., Swedish Match AB., Manikchand Group., Swisher International Group, Inc. & Imperial Brands PLC.
Orbis Research	Global Vaping Market Research Report with Opportunities and Strategies to Boost Growth-COVID-19 Impact and Recovery	JUUL Labs and Inc., Nicquid; and Inc., Japan Tobacco, International Vapor Group, R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company, British American Tobacco, Imperial Brands, Altria Group and NicQuid, Philip Morris International
Orbis Research	Global Smokeless Tobacco Market Research Report with Opportunities and Strategies to Boost Growth-COVID-19 Impact and Recovery	British American Tobacco PLC, Japan Tobacco and MacBaren Tobacco Company A/S., JMJ Group, Swisher International Group and Inc., Manikchand Group., Swedish Match AB, Dharampal Satyapal Limited, Reynolds American Inc., Imperial Brands PLC, Altria Group and Inc.
Credible Markets	Global E-Cigarette And Vape Market Research Report With Opportunities And Strategies To Boost Growth- COVID-19 Impact And Recovery	Shenzhen IVPS Technology Co., Ltd., Imperial Brands, NicQuid, British American Tobacco, R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company, Philip Morris International Inc., Altria Group, Inc., Shenzhen KangerTech Technology Co., Ltd., International Vapor Group, Japan Tobacco
Market Research Store	Tobacco Market By Key Players (Reynolds American Inc., Universal Corp, Imperial Tobacco, China National Tobacco Co.); Based on 2020 COVID-19 Worldwide Spread	Philip Morris International Inc., Universal Corp, Altria, Japan Tobacco, China National Tobacco Co., Imperial Tobacco, Reynolds American Inc., British American Tobacco, Hongyunhonghe Tobacco (Group) Co.
GlobalMarketers.biz	Global Smokeless Tobacco Market Report 2020 by Key Players, Types, Applications, Countries, Market Size, Forecast to 2026 (Based on 2020 COVID-19 Worldwide Spread)	MacBaren Tobacco Company A/S., Japan Tobacco, Inc., Imperial Brands PLC, Dharampal Satyapal Limited, British American Tobacco PLC, Manikchand Group, Altria Group, Inc, Swedish Match AB, JMJ Group, Reynolds American Inc, Swisher International Group, Inc.
HTF Market Intelligence	COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Heated Tobacco Products (HTPs) Industry Market Report-Development Trends, Threats, Opportunities and Competitive Landscape in 2020	VMR Products, Imperial Brands, Korea Tobacco & Ginseng Corporation, Philip Morris International, Japan Tobacco, China tobacco, American electronic cigarette company, British American Tobacco & Altria
ReportsnReports	Global Heat-not-burn Tobacco Product (HNB) Market Development Strategy Pre and Post COVID-19, by Corporate Strategy Analysis, Landscape, Type, Application, and Leading 20 Countries	Philip Morris International, CB Distributors, KangerTech, JUUL Labs, Ballantyne Brands, RR Chemicals, Gamucci, NJOY, Japan Tobacco International, MCIG, Nicotek, British American Tobacco, ECIG, International Vapor Group, Gilla, Altria Group, Imperial Brands, Joyetech Co, PAX Labs, Johnson Creek
HTF Market Intelligence	2020-2025 Global Dipping Tobacco Market Report - Production and Consumption Professional Analysis (Impact of COVID-19)	Japan Tobacco, Inc. (JT), Dharampal Satyapal Group, Swedish Match, American Snuff Co, Manikchand Group, Pinkerton Tobacco, British American Tobacco PLC (BAT), Imperial Tobacco Group, Kayak Outdoors, JMJ Group, Altria Group, Inc., Reynolds American Inc. (RAI), Swisher International, Inc.
Research MOZ	Global Heat-Not-Burn Tobacco Product (HNB) Market Report 2021 By Key Players, Types, Applications, Countries, Market Size, Forecast To 2027 (Based On 2020 COVID-19 Worldwide Spread)	Imperial Brands, Philip Morris International, VMR Products, British American Tobacco, Altria, American electronic cigarette company, China tobacco, Korea Tobacco and Ginseng Corporation, Japan Tobacco

Week 74: 9th August - 15th August 2021

• [[British American Tobacco (BAT)] Bangladesh has collaborated with the government to establish COVID-19 vaccine registration centres in Bangladesh to maximize the number of people to receive the vaccine. According to the media, Agrani Trading Corporation Limited, a company distributing products including BAT’s products, conducts the programme on behalf of the BAT.

Article 5.3 of Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) recommends against governments having any partnership with the tobacco industry as it has a fundamental irreconcilable conflict of interest with public health.

• Philip Morris International (PMI) announced that they were planning to purchase OtiTopic, a pharmaceutical company based in the United States that develops inhaled therapies. The acquisition was reportedly along with the development of ‘Asprihale’, an inhalable acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) which is used for acute myocardial infarction treatment. PMI is also in the process of purchasing Vectura, a pharmaceutical company based in UK that develops inhaled therapies.
• British American Tobacco (BAT) in Kenya announced a decline of sales volume by 13.8% (Kenyan Shilling 11.6 billion) due to reduced consumption. Media further reported that the BAT is planning to export cigarettes to Djibouti, Madagascar and South Sudan to compensate for the loss.
• Lagos State Agricultural Development Authority partnered with British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF) in organizing a capacity building workshop on catfish production for farmers. As reported in media, this partnership had started in 2018 and workshop was organised “as part of efforts of the government to increase food security and job opportunities”.

Article 5.3 of Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) recommends against governments having any partnership with the tobacco industry as it has a fundamental irreconcilable conflict of interest with public health.

• ITC Limited India, the main tobacco company in India, which had diversified their business into other ventures, was highlighted repeatedly in media this week as mentioned below:
  • ITC Limited India announced that they are expecting to expand their hotel business to other countries, and Sri Lanka will be the first country to do the expansion.
  • Media reported ITC Limited India plans to invest around USD 2 billion to build two production plants for packaging and for manufacture of nicotine derivatives to expand its capacity.
  • ITC Limited India introduced a reportedly sustainable environmental friendly packaging consists with paperboards under the ‘Filo’ and ‘Omega’ product series which is to replace the single use of plastic (Image 2).

Plethora of evidence have revealed that cigarettes and its manufacturing process negatively impact the environment including global warming and, thus, the human health.

Image 2: Media reporting the ITC Limited India introducing environmental friendly packaging.

• • ITC Limited India declared that they would launch an app named Metamarket for Advanced Agriculture and Rural Services (ITC-MAARS), which would be a “full complement of agricultural solutions while its micro services structure will enable plug-ins for a range of agtech solutions”.

ITC Limited India is the main tobacco company in India which is involved in tobacco cultivation as well.

• • Media reported that the ITC Hotels obtained the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum Certification which is a rating system that expresses how efficiently a building is designed and operated. The certification is awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council, a non-profit organization that works in building design and construction based in the United States.
  • ITC Limited India announced that they are involved in 83 public-private partnership agreements including state governments and government bodies, national and global organisations and NGOs “to accelerate social development in order to produce deep and enduring impacts at scale”.

Article 5.3 of Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) recommends against governments having any partnership with the tobacco industry as it has a fundamental irreconcilable conflict of interest with public health.

• Godfrey Phillips India Limited announced a net profit of Rs 112.40 crore for the first quarter of 2021, a revenue growth of Rs 735.49 crore (59%) compared to the first quarter of 2020.
• Market research institutes issued several reports on COVID-19 impact on the tobacco industry this week. Nine reports mentioning COVID 19 in the title are summarised in the Table 3.

Table 3: Summary of published market research reports during week 74

Market research institute	Title of the report	Tobacco companies mentioned
Stratagem Market Insights	Raw Tobacco Leaves Market Size, Insights, Key Players, Business Opportunities, Covid-19 Impact And Emerging Trends By 2028	Universal Corporation, Sopariwala Exports, Alliance One International Inc., Leaf Only, British American Tobacco p.l.c., Leafcon International, BBM Bommidala Group, Star Agritech International, JT Group, U.S. Tobacco Cooperative Inc
Research and Markets	Tobacco Products Global Market Report 2021: COVID-19 Impact and Recovery to 2030	Philip Morris International Inc.; Imperial Tobacco; Altria Group Inc; British American Tobacco and Japan Tobacco Inc.
Report Linker	Raw Tobacco Leaves Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis By Leaf Type and Application	Universal Corporation, Sopariwala Exports, Alliance One International Inc., Leaf Only,British American Tobacco p.l.c., Leafcon International, BBM Bommidala Group, Star Agritech International, JT Group, and U.S. Tobacco Cooperative Inc.
Credible Markets	Global Roll Your Own Cigarett Market Research Report With Opportunities And Strategies To Boost Growth- COVID-19 Impact And Recovery	British American Tobacco, Imperial Tobacco Group, KT&G, Thailand Tobacco Monopoly, Alliance One International, R.J. Reynolds, China Tobacco, Japan Tabacco, Donskoy Tabak, Taiwan Tobacco & Liquor, PT Gudang Garam Tbk, Altria Group, Universal
HTF Market Intelligence	2020-2025 Global Premium Cigar Market Report - Production and Consumption Professional Analysis (Impact of COVID-19)	Altria Group Inc., British American Tobacco, Oettinger Davidoff AG., Trendsettah USA Inc., Gurkha Cigar Group, Scandinavian Tobacco Group A/S, Drew Estate LLC, Swedish Match AB, Imperial Brands, Swisher International Inc., Habanos S.A. & Agio Cigars
Data Lab Forecast	2016-2027 Global Snus Market Research by Type, End-Use and Region (COVID-19 Version)	Swedish Match, Imperial Tobacco Group, Reynolds American, British American Tobacco, Japan Tobacco, Altria
Research and Markets	Tobacco Products Global Market Report 2021: COVID-19 Impact and Recovery to 2030	Philip Morris International Inc.; Imperial Tobacco; Altria Group Inc; British American Tobacco and Japan Tobacco Inc.
Market Research Store	Roll-Your-Own-Tobacco Market By Key Players (Imperial Brands, British American Tobacco, Japan Tobacco Inc., PHILIP MORRIS INTERNATIONAL INC.); Based on 2020 COVID-19 Worldwide Spread	British American Tobacco, Philip Morris International Inc., Japan Tobacco Inc., McGahey The Tobacconist, Imperial Brands, Altria Group Inc.
Orbis Research	Global Smokeless Tobacco Market Research Report with Opportunities and Strategies to Boost Growth-COVID-19 Impact and Recovery	British American Tobacco PLC, Japan Tobacco and MacBaren Tobacco Company A/S., JMJ Group, Swisher International Group and Inc., Manikchand Group, Swedish Match AB, Dharampal Satyapal Limited, Reynolds American Inc., Imperial Brands PLC, Altria Group and Inc

Week 75: 16th August – 22nd August 2021

• Lisa Smith, Managing Director of Btomorrow Ventures (BTV), the cooperate venturing arm of British American Tobacco (BAT), appeared in the top 100 Global Corporate Venturing (GCV) Powerlist 2021. GCV powerlist reportedly recognises the “top 100 corporate venturing leaders shaping the future of the industry”.
• British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF) revealed their plan of investing Nigerian Naira 2 billion in small scale farmers in 36 states in Nigeria. Media further reported that they have reportedly launched 240 projects impacting over 1.2 million beneficiaries since its initiation.
• British American Tobacco (BAT) Romania announced that the company has paid Romanian Leu 5 billion as tax and duties during the period of January to June 2021, which is an increase of nearly 700 million compared to the same period in 2020.

Tobacco industry is known to exaggerate their impact on economy while ignoring the harm they inflict on the economy through premature deaths and diseases.

• Ceylon Tobacco Company PLC (CTC) announced a reduction of cigarettes sales volume by 16% in the second quarter of 2021 compared to the first quarter and stated that it is due to imposed travel restrictions in Sri Lanka (Image 3).

Image 3: Media reporting the reduction of cigarettes sale volume of CTC.

• This week, market research institutes issued four reports mentioning COVID-19 impact on the tobacco industry in the title. The reports are summarised in the Table 4.

Table 4: Summary of published market research reports during week 75

Market research institute	Title of the report	Tobacco companies mentioned
Inside Market Reports	COVID-19 Global & USA Cigarette Market Research by Company, Type & Application 2015-2026	CHINA TOBACCO, Altria Group, British American Tobacco, Japan Tabacco, Imperial Tobacco Group, KT&G, Universal, Alliance One International, R.J. Reynolds, PT Gudang Garam Tbk, Donskoy Tabak, Taiwan Tobacco & Liquor, Thailand Tobacco Monopoly
Inside Market Reports	COVID-19 Global & USA Cigarette Market Research by Company, Type & Application 2015-2026	CHINA TOBACCO, Altria Group, British American Tobacco, Japan Tabacco, Imperial Tobacco Group, KT&G, Universal, Alliance One International, R.J. Reynolds, PT Gudang Garam Tbk, Donskoy Tabak, Taiwan Tobacco & Liquor, Thailand Tobacco Monopoly
Research and Markets	Hot Tobacco Global Market Report 2021: COVID-19 Growth and Change to 2030	Philip Morris International, Japan Tobacco International (JTI), British American Tobacco, Imperial Brands, KT&G Corp., Eli Lilly and Company, RJ Reynolds Vapor Company (RJRVC), Shenzhen AVBAD Technology Company Ltd., Pax Labs and Vapor Tobacco Manufacturing
Research and Markets	Smoking Cessation Aids Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis by Product (Nicotine Replacement Therapy, Drugs, Electronic Cigarettes, and Others) and End-User (Hospital Pharmacies, Online Channel, Retail Pharmacies, and Other End Users)	Pfizer Inc.; GlaxoSmithKline plc.; Dr. Reddy's Laboratories; Johnson and Johnson Services, Inc.; Cipla Inc.; Perrigo Company plc; Bausch Health Companies Inc.; Glenmark; NJOY; and Juul Labs

Week 76: 23rd August - 29th August 2021

• British American Tobacco (BAT) Kenya’s cigarettes manufacturing plant was awarded the most energy efficient company, while BAT’s green leaf threshing (GLT) plant was awarded the runners up in the ceremony at the Energy Management Awards (EMA) 2021 held in Nairobi. The ceremony was organised by Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM), a representative of manufacturing and value-add industries in Kenya as stated in media.

Tobacco industry consumes a large amount of energy in the production process of cigarettes starting from cultivation. It is known that energy is released as the heat during tobacco curing at large.

• Philip Morris International (PMI) Switzerland was awarded one Gold and two Silver Stevie awards for IT Executive of the Year, Achievement in Science or Technology and Lifetime Achievement Award in Consumer Products Industry at the 18th International Business Awards organised by Stevie Awards, a business awards started in 2002. This awards reportedly aims to recognise “high-achieving organisations and executives around the world” under a wide range of categories (Image 4).

Tobacco industry is known for producing its own ‘science’ commissioning research reports in favour of the industry to manipulate the science and related public health policies.

Image 4: Media reporting about the International Business Awards in 2021.

• This week, market research institutes issued six reports mentioning COVID-19 impact on the tobacco industry in the title. The reports are summarised in the Table 5.

Table 5: Summary of published market research reports during week 76

Market research institute	Title of the report	Tobacco companies mentioned
Market Reports World	E-Cigarette Market Size, Share, Growth, Trends With Impact Of Covid-19 And Forecast By 2021-2024	Philip Morris International, Healthier Choices Management Corp (Ruthless Vapor Corp), MCIG Inc., ITC Limited, Altria Group Inc., British American Tobacco plc, Japan Tobacco, Inc., J WELL France, Imperial Tobacco Group
A2Z Market Research	2021-2027 Global Tobacco Products Market Report - Production and Consumption Professional Analysis (Impact of COVID-19)	Republic Group, Al Matuco Tobacco Company, British American Tobacco, Century Tobacco, Gulbahar Tobacco, ARD Filters, Kaane American International Tobacco, Gallaher Group Plc, Reynolds, China National Tobacco Corporation, Japan Tobacco Inc., Imperial Tobacco, Altria Group Inc, BMJ Industries, Alliance One International, Oriental, Universal Corporation, Altria, Korea Tobacco & Ginseng Corporation, Philip Morris International Inc.
Contrive Datum Insights	Global Cigars and Cigarillos Market Insights, Size, Share, Growth Opportunities, Future Trends, Covid-19 Impact, SWOT Analysis, Competition and Forecasts 2021 to 2028	Scandinavian Tobacco Group A/S, British American Tobacco, Imperial Brands, Altria Group, Habanos S.A, Drew Estate LLC, Swisher International, Oettinger Davidoff AG, Swedish Match AB, Trendsettah USA
Contrive Datum Insights	Global Cigarette Packaging Market Insights, Size, Share, Growth Opportunities, Future Trends, Covid-19 Impact, SWOT Analysis, Competition and Forecasts 2021 to 2028	Amcor Limited, Innovia Films Ltd, Westrock, ITC Limited, Mondi Group, Altria Group, Ardagh Group, British American Tobacco P.L.C., Reynolds American Inc., Philip Morris International Inc., Sonoco Consumer Products Europe GmbH, Siegwerk, PT Hanjaya Mandala Sampoerna Tbk., Karelia Tobacco Co. Inc., Godfrey Phillips India Ltd, Ceylon Tobacco Company, Bulgartabac-Holding Ad, API Group PLC, Amvig Holdings Limited, Vector Tobacco Inc., Carreras Limited, Marden Edwards, PGP Precision, NTC Industries Limited, Oracle Packaging
Marker Research.biz	Cigars & Cigarillos Market Covid-19 Impact Analysis, Drivers, Restraints, Opportunities, Threats, Trends, Applications, And Growth Forecast To 2031	Trendsettah USA Inc., British American Tobacco, Swisher International Inc., Altria Group Inc., Drew Estate LLC, Swedish Match AB, Imperial Brands, Oettinger Davidoff AG, Habanos S.A., Scandinavian Tobacco Group A/S, Altadis, Godfrey Phillips India Ltd.
Contrive Datum Insights	Global Cigarette Packaging Market Insights, Size, Share, Growth Opportunities, Future Trends, Covid-19 Impact, SWOT Analysis, Competition and Forecasts 2021 to 2028	Amcor Limited, Innovia Films Ltd, Westrock, ITC Limited, Mondi Group, Altria Group, Ardagh Group, British American Tobacco P.L.C., Reynolds American Inc., Philip Morris International Inc., Sonoco Consumer Products Europe GmbH, Siegwerk, PT Hanjaya Mandala Sampoerna Tbk., Karelia Tobacco Co. Inc., Godfrey Phillips India Ltd, Ceylon Tobacco Company, Bulgartabac-Holding Ad, API Group PLC, Amvig Holdings Limited, Vector Tobacco Inc., Carreras Limited, Marden Edwards, PGP Precision, NTC Industries Limited, Oracle Packaging

Week 77: 30th August - 5th September 2021

• India has commemorated an annual event of National Nutrition Week in the first week of September since 1982, which was a concept of the Food and Nutrition Board of the Ministry of Women and Child Development. It aims to raise the awareness on different diets and to “bring attention to the importance of making informed food choices”. As reported by media, a recipe of green pea soup was presented by the Chef of ITC Hotels in the fourth day of the event. ITC hotels are owned by ITC Limited India, the main tobacco company in India, which had diversified their business into other ventures.

Article 5.3 of Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) recommends against governments having any partnership with the tobacco industry. Such partnerships have a fundamental irreconcilable conflict of interest with public health.

• Rothmans, Benson & Hedges, an affiliate of Philip Morris International (PMI) invited charity organisations in Canada to apply for their ‘Giving Back’ funding programme. According to media reports, a fund worth of USD 25,000 will be made available for projects aiming at education, environmental sustainability, and community development(Image 5).

Image 5: Opening of grant cycle of Rothmans reported by media

• Zacks Equity Research revealed revenue from IQOS, the heated tobacco product of Philip Morris International (PMI), increased by 41.7% (USD 2,276 million) during the second quarter of 2021. It further mentioned that 14.7 million users switched from the cigarettes to IQOS in the United States.
• Antonio Vencesla, Duty Free Corporate Affairs and Communications Director of Japan Tobacco International (JTI) expressed his views on recovering tobacco travel retail business receiving media attention.
• Japan Tobacco International (JTI) has entered into an agreement with FCM Travel, a travel company based in London that operates globally, to handle travel programs of JTI.
• British American Tobacco (BAT) South Africa (BATSA) stated that tobacco sales ban led to an increase of illicit trade up to more than half of the market in South Africa. They further mentioned that the government lost a tax revenue of South African Rand 19.1 billion because of this.

This is a common claim made by tobacco companies to justify their low sales volumes and evade potential tobacco tax increases. Tobacco companies are known for their involvement in the illicit trade in many parts of the world. Please visit the pages Tobacco Industry Tactics to Evade Tax and Ceylon Tobacco Misleading Shareholders: The Illicit Cigarettes Issue for more details.

• This week, market research institutes issued six reports mentioning COVID-19 impact on the tobacco industry in the title. The reports are summarised in the Table 6.

Table 6: Summary of published market research reports during week 77

Market research institute	Title of the report	Tobacco companies mentioned
Orbis Research	Global Electronic Cigarette and Tobacco Vapor Market Research Report with Opportunities and Strategies to Boost Growth-COVID-19 Impact and Recovery	LLC, Imperial Brands plc and Turning Point Brands, JUUL Labs, Japan Tobacco Inc., MCIG Inc, British American Tobacco PLC, Altria Group Inc., Philip Morris International, NJOY
Report Hive	(Post-pandemic Era)-Global E-CIGARETTES Market (Sales, Revenue, Price, Gross Profit and Competitors Analysis of Major Market) from 2015-2026	Vape Holdings, Inc., Gilla Inc, NJOY Inc, British American Tobacco plc,Vapor Hub International, Inc., Imperial Brands PLC, Reynolds American, Inc., International Vapor Group, VMR Products LLC, Altria Group Inc., Philip Morris International Inc., Lorillard, Japan Tobacco Inc., ECIG, FIN Branding Group LLC
Report Hive	(Post-pandemic Era)-Global E-CIGARETTES Market 2015-2026, With Breakdown Data of Capacity, Sales, Production, Export, Import, Revenue, Price, Cost and Gross Margin	Vape Holdings, Gilla Inc, NJOY Inc, British American Tobacco plc, Vapor Hub International, Imperial Brands PLC, Reynolds American, International Vapor Group ,VMR Products LLC, Altria Group Inc., Philip Morris International Inc., Lorillard, Japan Tobacco Inc., ECIG, FIN Branding Group LLC
Market Study Report	Global Vaping Market Development Strategy Pre and Post COVID-19, by Corporate Strategy Analysis, Landscape, Type, Application, and Leading 20 Countries	Vapor Tobacco Manufacturing, CB Distributors, Totally Wicked E-liquid, Vapor Hub International, Sichuan China Tobacco Industry Co. Ltd., Energy VAP, XEO International, PAX Labs, Jouz, British American Tobacco (BAT), International Vapor Group, Gamucci, KT&G (Korea Tomorrow& Global Corporation),Shenzhen AVBAD Technology Company Ltd., VPR Brands, Imperial Brands, Gilla, White Cloud (Leads by Sales), KangerTech Technology, Vap Procell, Nicotek, Marvel International Tobacco Group, Joyetech Co., Vape Holdings, Shenzhen Yukan Intelligent Technology Co. Ltd., NJOY, Mainstream Cannabis Innovations Group (mCig Group), RR Chemicals, Altria Group, Japan Tobacco International (JTI), ECIG (Formerly known as Victory Electronic Cigarettes), Shenzhen Royal Tobacco Industrial Limited (Royal Tobacco), RJ Reynolds Vapor Company (RJRVC), Ballantyne Brands, Philip Morris International (PMI)
Market Study Report	Global Vaping Market Development Strategy Pre and Post COVID-19, by Corporate Strategy Analysis, Landscape, Type, Application, and Leading 20 Countries	Vapor Tobacco Manufacturing,CB Distributors,Totally Wicked E-liquid,Vapor Hub International,Sichuan China Tobacco Industry Co. Ltd.,Energy VAP,XEO International,PAX Labs,Jouz,British American Tobacco (BAT),International Vapor Group,Gamucci,KT&G (Korea Tomorrow& Global Corporation),Shenzhen AVBAD Technology Company Ltd.,VPR Brands,Imperial Brands,Gilla,White Cloud (Leads by Sales),KangerTech Technology,Vap Procell,Nicotek,Marvel International Tobacco Group,Joyetech Co.,Vape Holdings,Shenzhen Yukan Intelligent Technology Co. Ltd.,NJOY,Mainstream Cannabis Innovations Group (mCig Group),RR Chemicals,Altria Group,Japan Tobacco International (JTI),ECIG (Formerly known as Victory Electronic Cigarettes),Shenzhen Royal Tobacco Industrial Limited (Royal Tobacco),RJ Reynolds Vapor Company (RJRVC),Ballantyne Brands andPhilip Morris International (PMI)
Credible Markets	Global Snuff Market Research Report with Opportunities and Strategies to Boost Growth- COVID-19 Impact and Recovery	British American Tobacco, Japan Tobacco, Altria Group, JMJ Group, Swisher International, Dharampal Satyapal, Swedish Match, Manikchand Group, RAI, Imperial Tobacco

Week 78: 6th - 12th September 2021

• Media reported that British American Tobacco (BAT) is among the highest investors in Arysteq Global Opportunities Fund, a global fund managed by the investment experts in Namibia aiming “to invest in developed equity markets”.
• US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) postponed the final decision on e-cigarettes trade in United States stating it needs a longer time to review the applications. FDA ordered e-cigarettes manufacturers to submit an application containing benefit on health and potential toxins of the products in 2016. In September 2020, the companies received a year of grace period to do trade until the FDA decision was made (Image 6).

Image 6: Media reporting FDA delaying the final decision on e-cigarettes trade in United States

• British American Tobacco (BAT) in Zimbabwe announced a reduction of revenue of Zimbabwean Dollar 264,9 million in January to June period compared to 2020. This was amidst a reported surge in the sales volume by 27%. The BAT attributed this loss of revenue to the stability of the Zimbabwean Dollar with the introduction of foreign exchange auction system.
• Jennie Galbraith, Group Head of ESG, British American Tobacco (BAT), was awarded the “Sustainability Champion of the Year (Non-executive)” award under Sustainability Awards. This award by the Business Intelligence Group is reportedly to “honor those who have made sustainability an integral part of their business practice”.

Plethora of scientific evidence have revealed that tobacco use and the manufacturing leads to health, social, environmental and economic consequences, and is a barrier for sustainable development.

• British American Tobacco (BAT) declared that ‘Vuse’, an electronic cigarette brand produced by R. J. Reynolds Vapor Company has reached the highest share value in the months of June and July in the global vaping market. Reynolds American, parent company of R. J. Reynolds Vapor Company, is a subsidiary of BAT. As reported by media, 77% of global market share of Vuse is within five countries: United States, Canada, France, Germany and United Kingdom.
• “National Smokeless Day” event was held at Czech Technical University (ČVUT) in Prague on 7th September 2021. The event was sponsored by the [https://www.pmi.com/ Philip Morris International (PMI) in Czech which promoted the heated tobacco products.

Foundation for a Smoke-free World is funded by PMI. Both entities are campaigning under the slogan “smoke-free future”, aiming to popularise nicotine and tobacco products other than combustible cigarettes which are becoming increasingly unpopular all over the world.

• Emmanuel Babeau, Chief Financial Officer of Philip Morris International (PMI), addressed the Barclays Global Consumer Staples Conference 2021. The conference was organised by Barclays PLC, a British investment bank and financial services company based in London.
• Philip Morris International (PMI) introduced “IQOS Iluma Prime”, a new smokeless tobacco device to duty free shops in Japan.
• Philip Morris International (PMI) partnered with Teguise City Council to obtain the “Smoke free culture certification” for La Graciosa, an island located in Canary archipelago. The certificate is offered by TUV Austria, a multinational company that provides engineering services and head quartered in Austria. The national and international organisations working for tobacco control including Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) and Spanish National Committee for the Prevention of Smoking opposed this partnership, stating that the PMI’s attempt was to promote its IQOS, heated tobacco product, while promoting its image.

Article 5.3 of Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) recommends against governments having any partnership with the tobacco industry as it has a fundamental irreconcilable conflict of interest with public health.

• Market research institutes issued several reports on COVID-19 impact on the tobacco industry this week. Details of six reports mentioning COVID 19 in the title are summarised in the Table 7.

Table 7: Summary of published market research reports during the week 78

Market research institute	Title of the report	Tobacco companies mentioned
Reports and Markets	Global Heated Tobacco Products (HTPs) Market Research Report with Opportunities and Strategies to Boost Growth- COVID-19 Impact and Recovery	Imperial Brands, Korea Tobacco & Ginseng Corporation, British American Tobacco, Altria, Philip Morris International, American electronic cigarette company, China tobacco, VMR Products, and Japan Tobacco
HTF Market Intelligence	COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Tobacco Products Industry Market Report-Development Trends, Threats, Opportunities and Competitive Landscape in 2020	epublic Group, Gallaher Group Plc, Kaane American International Tobacco, Alliance One International, ARD Filters, BMJ Industries, Japan Tobacco Inc., British American Tobacco, Altria, Reynolds, Imperial Tobacco, Gulbahar Tobacco, Oriental, China National Tobacco Corporation, Al Matuco Tobacco Company, Century Tobacco, Philip Morris International Inc., Universal Corporation, Altria Group Inc & Korea Tobacco & Ginseng Corporation
Credible Markets	Global Vape Market Research Report with Opportunities and Strategies to Boost Growth- COVID-19 Impact and Recovery	RRR Chemicals, Reynolds American, Ballantyne Brands, Altria Group, CB Distributors, British American Tobacco (BAT), ECIG, NJOY, VMR Products, Imperial Brands, Vapor, White Cloud, Gamucci, Japan Tobacco, Nicotek
Orbis Research	Global Shisha Market Research Report with Opportunities and Strategies to Boost Growth-COVID-19 Impact and Recovery	Japan Tobacco Inc (JT), Alkayem Co. ltd, Chill-In, Sadachi Co.Ltd., Shisha Tokyo
A2Z Market Research	2021-2027 Global Heated Tobacco Market Report - Production and Consumption Professional Analysis (Impact of COVID-19)	Korea Tobacco & Ginseng Corporation, Altria, British American Tobacco, VMR Products, American electronic cigarette company, PMI - Philip Morris International, Imperial Brands, China tobacco, Japan Tobacco, Philip Morris International
HTF Market Intelligence	COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Tobacco Products Industry Market Report-Development Trends, Threats, Opportunities and Competitive Landscape in 2020	Republic Group, Gallaher Group Plc, Kaane American International Tobacco, Alliance One International, ARD Filters, BMJ Industries, Japan Tobacco Inc., British American Tobacco, Altria, Reynolds, Imperial Tobacco, Gulbahar Tobacco, Oriental, China National Tobacco Corporation, Al Matuco Tobacco Company, Century Tobacco, Philip Morris International Inc., Universal Corporation, Altria Group Inc & Korea Tobacco & Ginseng Corporation

Week 79: 13th September - 19th September 2021

• British American Tobacco (BAT) announced that Vuse, e-cigarette brand of BAT was certified as “a carbon-neutral product” by Vertis, a company that is involved in carbon markets and helping companies finance emission reduction investments according to what is stated on their website.
• British American Tobacco (BAT) stopped the production of cigarettes by the GTF Neman, state owned factory in Belarus. This was reportedly due to an accusation from the United States for enhancing illicit cigarette trade and financially supporting the “anti-democratic” regime. This decision followed the sanctions on Belarus imposed by The European Union in June 2021.
• Nicholas Booth, the legal and external affairs director of British American Tobacco (BAT) in Malaysia, declared that they work on four areas, harm reduction, environment, social and governance, focusing on the business sustainability. He further added that the company is associated with the Sustainable Development Goals of United Nations.

Plethora of scientific evidence has revealed that tobacco cultivation and manufacturing process negatively impact on human health, environment and socio-economic development globally. It causes premature deaths and tobacco induced diseases including cancers and heart and lung diseases which leads to economic harm at household and community levels.

• Media reported that Timeless Cigars will be back in the market and will be distributed by Davidoff of Geneva USA, U.S. subsidiary of Oettinger Davidoff tobacco company under new ownership of Ferio Tego Cigar Company. Altria group purchased Nat Sherman International, the original owner of Timeless brand in 2017 and closed it in 2020.
• Whistleblower Pieter Snyders revealed that he worked for the British American Tobacco (BAT) as a spy and acted to sabotage the competitors on behalf of BAT. His reported job functions included bribing Forensic Security Services (FSS) in South Africa.
• Investigation of BBC Panorama and the University of Bath found that the British American Tobacco (BAT) had potentially bribed the former President of Zimbabwe; Robert Mugabe. It further revealed that the potential donation of BAT to Mugabe’s party for the presidential elections; and also about utilizing paid private firms; Forensic Security Services (FSS), to sabotage the competitors of BAT in Zimbabwe. BAT did not deny this allegation (Image 7).

Tobacco companies are known for bribing politicians, policymakers and high rank officials to interfere in tobacco control actions and policies. Please visit our page Implementing Pictorial Health Warnings on Cigarette Packs: Bribery Allegations for an example from Sri Lanka and more details. Tobacco Control Research Group of the University of Bath revealed that 236 "questionable payments", worth of USD 601,502, were made by British American Tobacco (BAT) to politicians, lawmakers, civil servants, journalists and staff of competitive companies of 10 African countries, Burundi, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia, in the period from 2008 to 2013.

Image 7: Media reporting the BAT’s potential bribing of Mugabe.

• Media reported that Swedish Match, a tobacco company manufacturing cigars and other oral nicotine products based in Sweden, announced that they are planning to remove Cigars from their venture “to become a smoke-free company”.
• Market research institutes issued several reports on COVID-19 impact on the tobacco industry this week. Three reports mentioning COVID 19 in the title are summarised in the Table 8.

Table 8: Summary of published market research reports during week 79

Market research institute	Title of the report	Tobacco companies mentioned
Market Research Store	Roll-Your-Own-Tobacco Market By Key Players (Imperial Brands, British American Tobacco, Japan Tobacco Inc., Philip Morris International Inc.); Based on 2020 COVID-19 Worldwide Spread	British American Tobacco, Philip Morris International Inc., Japan Tobacco Inc., McGahey The Tobacconist, Imperial Brands, Altria Group Inc
Market Research Store	Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) Products Market By Key Players (Cipla Ltd., Japan Tobacco Inc., Novartis International AG, NJOY LLC); Based on 2020 COVID-19 Worldwide Spread	Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd, GlaxoSmithKline PLC, Cipla Ltd., McNeil AB, NJOY LLC, Imperial Brands PLC, Revolymer PLC, Novartis International AG, Pfizer Inc., Japan Tobacco Inc., Johnson & Johnson
Market Research Store	E-Cigarette Devices Market By Key Players (International Vapor Group, British American Tobacco plc, Philip Morris International Inc., NJOY Inc.); Based on 2020 COVID-19 Worldwide Spread	International Vapor Group, Vapor Hub International Inc., FIN Branding Group LLC., Imperial Brands plc, VMR Products LLC, British American Tobacco plc, NJOY Inc., JUUL Labs Inc, Altria Group Inc., Philip Morris International Inc., Japan Tobacco Inc.

Week 80: 20th September - 26th September 2021

• Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), a global network of investigative journalists exposing crime and corruption in the world, revealed that China National Tobacco Corporation (CNTC) has combined with the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to expand their business. BRI describes themselves as “a transcontinental long-term policy and investment programme which aims at infrastructure development and acceleration of the economic integration of countries along the route of the historic Silk Road”.
• British American Tobacco (BAT) in West and Central Africa announced the launch of ‘sustainability show corner’ in Ibadan, Nigeria, reportedly claiming it a “sustainable investment in the environment”. It showcased products reportedly manufactured by the recycled waste generated at the Ibadan factory.

Plethora of evidence have revealed that cigarettes and their manufacturing process negatively impact the environment and human health.

• Media reported that Beatriz Copelli, Transformation Programme Business Lead for the Reynolds American, has been featured in the HITEC 100 Awardee list 2022. The HITEC 100 list is the list of 100 “most influential and notable Hispanic professionals” in technology industry across the United States.
• Imperial Brands announced that they are planning to expand the heat not burn products across Greece. In addition, the Imperial brands Pulze device and iD heat sticks are reportedly test-marketed in the Czech Republic (Image 8).

Image 8: Media reporting Imperial brands’ plan to expand the heat not burn products.

• Media reported that Philip Morris International (PMI) has started the process of delisting Vectura, a pharmaceutical company purchased by the PMI recently, on the London Stock Exchange and the re-registering it as a private company.
• The analysis of the Department of Finance in Philippines showed that the Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Corporation (PMFTC) paid a total of Peso 42.04 billion as excise tax during the period of January to July 2021, which was approximately half of the sin tax collected by the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s (BIR). PMTFC is a joint venture between Fortune Tobacco Company (FTC) and Philip Morris International (PMI) in Philippines. It further reported a rise of PMFTC tax contribution during the same period by 7% compared to 2020.
• Philip Morris International (PMI) declared the launch of the PMI impact, USD 100 million funding programme “to support projects against the illicit trade and its consequences”. According to the PMI commissioned KPMG 2020 report, illicit cigarette market has increased to 5.2 billion sticks and the government has lost £ 2.2 billion tax revenue in United Kingdom.

Global evidence points to the involvement of the tobacco companies in the illicit trade and they commonly commissions research reports in favour of the industry’s interests aiming to confuse policymakers and the public in order to interfer in effective tobacco control measures. Please visit the pages Tobacco Industry Tactics to Evade Tax and Ceylon Tobacco Misleading Shareholders: The Illicit Cigarettes Issue for more details.

• Pakistan Tobacco Board (PTB) has been requested of a proper investigation into the surplus tobacco crop issue reportedly by the “tobacco industry experts” following the protests conducted by the farmers in front of the buying centers of Pakistan Tobacco Company (PTC) and Philip Morris International (PMI). It is reported that PTC and PMI have already purchased the surplus, in addition to the demand for the year submitted to PBT. Media further reported that the “multinational tobacco companies are being pressured into purchasing tobacco crop beyond the surplus purchases”.
• Litiya Matakala, Head of corporate affairs of Japan Tobacco International (JTI), stated that JTI expects incentives related to tobacco taxation from the Government of Zambia in upcoming national budget for the year 2022.

Article 5.3 of Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) recommends in the guiding principles that the tobacco industry should not be granted incentives to establish or sustain their businesses.

• Ian Monteith, Director of Anti-illicit Trade Operations, Japan Tobacco International (JTI) requested the governments “to implement reasonable policies to help law enforcement agencies combat illegal trading in tobacco”. He made this statement at the Global Tobacco and Nicotine Forum 2021 held virtually from 21 to 23 September 2021. He further stated that the governments should specially consider the taxation policy claiming that the reduced affordability due to increased taxes leads to a surge in the illicit trade.

This is a common statement made by tobacco companies to justify their low sales volumes and evade tobacco tax increases. Please visit the page Tobacco Industry Tactics to Evade Tax for more details.

• Chief Marketing Officer of British American Tobacco (BAT), Kingsley Wheaton, requested to lift the ban on vaping products claiming the evidence that shows the impact of the ban on users to switch to cigarettes, and also citing progress made on vaping products. He made this statement at the Global Tobacco and Nicotine Forum 2021 held virtually from 21-23 September 2021.

Commissioning research reports in favour of the industry is a well known tactic of the tobacco companies to undermine the effective tobacco control measures.

• Two proposals submitted by the Philip Morris International (PMI) was among the top five at the Supply Chain Conference and Exhibition held in Georgia in September 2021. It was organized by the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) aiming to “Connect with global supply chain community to discover the latest innovations, new strategies, and best practices”. Proposals were titled “Welcome to the Future: E2E Planning Under a Single Global Synchronization Hub” and “Digital Twins for the Win!”. The latter was a project that partnered with River Logic, a software company based in United States.
• This week, market research institutes issued two reports mentioning COVID-19 impact on the tobacco industry in the title. The reports are summarised in the Table 9.

Table 9: Summary of published market research reports during week 80

Market research institute	Title of the report	Tobacco companies mentioned
The Business Research Company	Hot Tobacco Global Market Report 2021 - By Product (HNB Tobacco Devices, Direct/Indirect Heating HnB Tobacco, Infused/Hybrid HnB Tobacco Devices, HnB Tobacco Consumables, HnB Tobacco Sticks, HnB Tobacco Capsules & Cartridges), By Type (Devices, Capsules, Vaporizers), By Distribution Channel (Retail Stores, Online), COVID-19 Growth And Change	Philip Morris International, Japan Tobacco International (JTI), British American Tobacco, Imperial Brands, KT&G Corp., Eli Lilly and Company, RJ Reynolds Vapor Company (RJRVC), Shenzhen AVBAD Technology Company Ltd., Pax Labs, Vapor Tobacco Manufacturing, Shenzhen Royal Tobacco Industrial Limited (Royal Tobacco), JOUZ, Shenzhen Yukan Intelligent Technology Co. Ltd., Anlerr, HI TASTE, Shenzhen Kamry Technology, Yetr Amus, Shenzhen Yunxi Technology, AIIR Technology (Shenzhen), Buddy Technology Development, Shenzhen Original Technology, Fog & Frog Technology (Shenzhen), YanB Technology Shenzhen, Coeus, CCBATO, Dongguan Hawei Electronic Technology Limited, Dongguan Cigwin Technology, Shenzhen Keeptech Electronics.
Inside Market Report	COVID-19 impact to Global Tobacco Additives Professional Survey Report 2020, Forecast to 2025	Brown and Williamson, Altria, Philip Morris International, Liggett Group, Imperial Brands, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, Korea Tobacco & Ginseng Corporation, Japan Tobacco, British American Tobacco, China tobacco, American electronic cigarette company, VMR Products

Week 81: 27th September – 3rd October 2021

• At the 110th Annual General meeting Sanjiv Puri, Chairman of ITC Limited India, expressed that they have invested more in digital technology to speed up their trade and to build a customer focused next level of ITC in the future . ITC Limited India is the main tobacco company in India, which diversified their business into other ventures.
• British American Tobacco (BAT) Rothmans introduced ‘Glo Pro Slim; a new heated tobacco device in South Korea.
• Shaiful Bahari Mahpar of Japan Tobacco International (JTI) Malaysia said that after the government imposed new regulations in January 2021, the smugglers are distributing illicit cigarettes at Malaysian ports via boats. The new regulations included permission to transship cigarettes being restricted to five ports and strict licensing rules. Media further reported that Pankaj Kumar, an Investment Analyst, requested the government not to increase tobacco tax, stating that it will lead to a loss of government revenue due to increased illicit trade and loss of job opportunities due to the closure of cigarette factories.

Tobacco companies are known for their involvement in the illicit trade in many parts of the world and commonly bring up such counter arguments against new regulations and tax increases. It is also common to see involvement of front groups in these responses. Please visit the pages Tobacco Industry Tactics to Evade Tax and Ceylon Tobacco Misleading Shareholders: The Illicit Cigarettes Issue for more details.

• UOB Kay Hian Research, a research service provider based in Singapore, found that the estimated government loss of revenue due to illicit vaping trade is around Malaysian ringgit 300 million in Malaysia, and if nicotine vaping is legalised, the potential increase of British American Tobacco (BAT) stock is significant. Media further reported that BAT is ready to launch the nicotine vaping products with the legalisation (Image 9).

Image 9: media reporting the potential benefits of BAT with the legalisation of nicotine vaping products.

• British American Tobacco (BAT) Uzbekistan purchased 350, 000 shares of Samfruit, a company that produces and distributes dried fruits and vegetables in Uzbekistan. It is reported that the BAT now owns 34.1% shares of Samfruit worth of USD 12.4 million with this acquisition. The joint venture was initiated in 2019 with USD 11 million investment by BAT.
• British American Tobacco (BAT) is planning to build an “Innovation Hub” in Italy, which will include a manufacturing site for novel nicotine and tobacco products and a digital marketing centre. This hub will be built reportedly with minimal the environmental impact.

Global evidence has revealed that cigarettes and its manufacturing process negatively impact the environment including global warming and, thus, the human health.

• British American Tobacco (BAT) Malaysia introduced nicotine vaping products reportedly as a “new sustainability strategy”. As of September 2021, trade of nicotine vaping products is illegal in Malaysia.
• Povaddo, a research consulting firm based in USA, conducted a survey in 26 countries among around 30,000 adults and reported that 45% and 46% of participants believe that e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products are more harmful than cigarettes. The survey was commissioned by the Philip Morris International (PMI).

Tobacco industry commissioning research teams and firms is a common tactic to generate reports in favour of their interests aiming to interfere in effective tobacco control measures by confusing policymakers and the general public.

• Media reported the official launch of Letzpact, a new non-profit organisation established to represent the lobbyists in Luxembourg. Mathilde Brasseur, Corporate Affairs Manager for Japan Tobacco International (JTI), is in the director board of Letzpact.

Tobacco industry is known to use lobby groups to further their business interests.

• US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned Philip Morris International (PMI) and Altria from importing and selling the heating and vaping device, IQOS and the ban will take place after the administrative review in two months. As media reported, Altria and PMI are collaborating to get through this issue and PMI planned to appeal the decision. This order followed the Reynolds American, a subsidiary of British American Tobacco (BAT), winning the court case of violations of two patents by PMI and Altria.
• An office for the global business services, including digital marketing capabilities, business intelligence & data analytics was established in Islamabad, Pakistan under investment of British American Tobacco (BAT). This office will support the business services in the Asia Pacific and Middle East Region. As reported by media, Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives has praised this investment participating at the opening ceremony.
• Velo, vaping brand of RJ Reynolds Vapor Company, was announced as the primary sponsors for World Series of Poker (WSOP) tournament 2021, which will be held at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Under theis sponsorship, Velo offers cash prizes in return for brand displays in prominent contents including on the main stage.
• Media reported an increase in prices of certain food, tobacco product and services in Japan October 2021 onwards due to surged prices of raw materials owing to COVID-19 pandemic. It further reported that Japan Tobacco International (JTI) plans to increase the cigarette price by 40 yen with the tax increase in October 2021.
• Wellbeing out of Waste (WOW), a waste management programme of ITC Limited India, was launched in collaboration with South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) and Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). The reported aim was to raise awareness of public on solid waste management and the importance of waste free environment.

Article 5.3 of Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) recommends against governments having any partnership with the tobacco industry as it has a fundamental irreconcilable conflict of interest with public health.

• Philip Morris International (PMI) announced that Astypalea, an island in Greece, obtained the Smoke-Free Culture certification becoming the ‘first island’ to do so in the world. As mentioned previously, this certification is offered by TUV Austria, a multinational company headquartered in Austria. Experts and organisations in tobacco control opposed to this certification, protesting that PMI is attempting to promote their image as well as IQOS, their heated tobacco product under the ‘smoke free’ slogan.
• This week, market research institutes issued five reports mentioning COVID-19 impact on the tobacco industry in the title. The reports are summarised in the Table 10.

Table 10: Summary of published market research reports during week 81

Market research institute	Title of the report	Tobacco companies mentioned
Market Research Store	Pipe Tobacco Market By Key Players (Chewing tobacco, Gallaher Group Plc, R.J. Reynolds, Reynolds Tobacco Company); Based on 2020 COVID-19 Worldwide Spread	JT International, Dipping tobacco, Altria Group, Chewing tobacco, Japan Tobacco Inc, Mac Baren, British American Tobacco, Snuff, Universal Corporation, U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company, Gallaher Group Plc, Market Size Split by Type, R.J. Reynolds, Reynolds Tobacco Company, Imperial Tobacco Group.
Market Research Store	E-cigarette and Vape Market By Key Players (Altria Group Inc., R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company, Imperial Brands, Shenzhen IVPS Technology Co. Ltd.); Based on 2020 COVID-19 Worldwide Spread	Japan Tobacco, International, Shenzhen IVPS Technology Co. Ltd., International Vapor Group, Shenzhen KangerTech Technology Co. Ltd., Philip Morris International Inc., R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company, Imperial Brands, British American Tobacco, Altria Group Inc., NicQuid
Report Hive	Vape Pens Market Status And Trend Analysis 2017-2026 (COVID-19 Version)	NicQuid, Philip Morris International Inc., International Vapor Group, British American Tobacco, Altria Group, Inc., Imperial Brands, Shenzhen IVPS Technology Co., Ltd., International, Japan Tobacco, R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company, Shenzhen KangerTech Technology Co., Ltd.
Market Research Store	Heat-not-burn Tobacco Product (HNB) Market By Key Players (Philip Morris International, RR Chemicals, British American Tobacco, CB Distributors); Based on 2020 COVID-19 Worldwide Spread	Imperial Brands, NJOY, RR Chemicals, PAX Labs, MCIG, Gilla, Gamucci, Johnson Creek, ECIG, Japan Tobacco International, CB Distributors, JUUL Labs, International Vapor Group, KangerTech, Altria Group, British American Tobacco, Philip Morris International, Ballantyne Brands, Nicotek, Joyetech Co
Market Research Store	Intelligent Vending Machine Market By Key Players (Fuji Electric Co, FUSHIBINGSHAN, N&W Global Vending Group, ); Based on 2020 COVID-19 Worldwide Spread	Shenzhen Joie Ubique Industrial, Fas International Spa, FUSHIBINGSHAN, Azkoyen S.A., LE VENDING OF CHINA CO, Fuji Electric Co, Rheavendors, Guangzhou Fuhong Intelligent Vending Machine Co, Northwestern, Sielaff GmbH & Co Automatenbau, Aequator, Automatic Products, Beaver Machine, Daito Co. Ltd, Japan Tobacco Inc, Fujitaka Corporation, SANDEN Corporation, UBOX, Crane Merchandising Systems, N&W Global Vending Group

TobaccoUnmasked Resources

• Globally Reported Tobacco Industry Interference during COVID-19 Pandemic
• Globally Reported Tobacco Industry Interference during COVID-19 Pandemic - November 2020
• Globally Reported Tobacco Industry Interference during COVID-19 Pandemic - December 2020
• Globally Reported Tobacco Industry Interference during COVID-19 Pandemic - January 2021
• Globally Reported Tobacco Industry Interference during COVID-19 Pandemic - February 2021
• Globally Reported Tobacco Industry Interference during COVID-19 Pandemic - March 2021
• Globally Reported Tobacco Industry Interference during COVID-19 Pandemic – April - May 2021
• Globally Reported Tobacco Industry Interference during COVID-19 Pandemic – June - July 2021

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