Market & legal data on the tobacco alternative sector in Japan

Tougher laws, EU TPD3 and first-time pouch regulations: what 2025 may bring

Written by Freddie Dawson | 8th January 2025

TobaccoIntelligence predicts 2025 will be very important for nicotine alternatives, with key decisions to be made and regulation expected to become tougher overall ...

Heated tobacco and nicotine pouches lead the global shift to safer nicotine products

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 21st November 2024

A major new report shows a pivotal shift in the global smoking landscape, highlighting the growing use of safer nicotine products, such as heated tobacco and nicotine pouches ...

JT delivers strong Q3 results, powered by Ploom sales and robust global expansion

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 31st October 2024

Japan Tobacco Group (JT) delivered a standout third quarter, fuelled by surging demand in its tobacco and heated products sectors and a significant global expansion ...

How Iqos revolutionised the Japanese smoking landscape in just a decade

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 30th October 2024

The November 2014 launch by Philip Morris International (PMI) of Iqos in Nagoya, Japan, and Milan, Italy, kick-started the heated tobacco sector, now worth tens of billions globally ...

Big Tobacco’s secret brand-building sauce spices up heated tobacco more than vapes

Written by Freddie Dawson | 24th October 2024

November will mark ten years since Iqos was launched in Japan. And as the third-quarter results of Philip Morris International show, the last ten years have been quite the story in the product’s global brand-building...

JT’s acquisition of Vector Group in the US: strategic expansion or short-term boost?

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 22nd August 2024

While the acquisition of US tobacco company Vector by Japan Tobacco (JT) Group will add profit and cashflow to JT’s business immediately, its longer-term significance may be more strategic ...

Big Tobacco pleased about growth but mum on impact from regulatory changes

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 8th August 2024

All Big Tobacco companies reported growth in their smoke-free segments, reflecting a trend towards diversification from traditional cigarettes, though none have addressed the regulatory environment and its potential impact on future earnings ...

JTI reports robust performance fuelled by Ploom in the heated tobacco segment

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 2nd August 2024

Japan Tobacco International reports it delivered a robust performance in the first half of the year, continuing its investment to expand its presence in the heated tobacco segment, with Ploom now available in 21 markets...

BAT’s numbers buoyed up by modern oral segment, with significant growth in US

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 25th July 2024

British American Tobacco reported a drop in first-half revenue, offset by the continued growth of new categories. BAT expects new-category revenue to be weighted in the second half of 2024, driven by phased launches ...

PMI’s Zyn and Iqos see robust growth, despite supply issues and EU flavour ban

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 23rd July 2024

Philip Morris International recorded an outstanding second-quarter and first-half performance, with strong contributions from Iqos and Zyn – despite supply constraints and the EU flavour ban ...

22nd Century set to fully launch VLN in South Korea after lessons learned in trial

Written by Freddie Dawson | 10th July 2024

US-based 22nd Century will move to a full roll out of its VLN brand very-low-nicotine cigarette products in the South Korean market, where it had previously launched a limited trial run ...

KT&G uses new fast-charging tech to revamp Lil Aible heated tobacco device

Written by Freddie Dawson | 2nd July 2024

KT&G has unveiled a new version of its Lil Aible heated tobacco device. The South Korean tobacco company highlighted the improved charging and pre-heating times of Lil Aible 2.0 ...

Ploom X is the feather in JTI’s cap as reduced-risk products boost Q1 results

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 9th May 2024

Japan Tobacco International (JTI) delivered a robust performance in the first quarter of 2024, partly thanks to a double-digit increase in reduced-risk product revenue – driven mainly by the heated tobacco sticks segment ...

PMI’s smoke-free momentum continues to build in 2024, fuelled by Iqos and Zyn

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 24th April 2024

PMI continued reporting its smoke-free momentum in the first quarter of 2024, announcing 25% organic growth in net revenues and 38% in gross profit – with strong contributions from Iqos and Zyn ...

The evolution of novel tobacco and nicotine products over the last decade

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 5th April 2024

In this part of a series of articles celebrating the tenth anniversary of Tamarind Intelligence, we look at how heated tobacco, nicotine pouches and herbal heated sticks have evolved in the past decade ...

Iqos may be losing share to rivals in the crucial Japanese heated tobacco market

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 15th February 2024

Market-leader Iqos, from Philip Morris International (PMI), lost market share last year in the huge Japanese heated tobacco sector to rivals British American Tobacco (BAT) and Japan Tobacco (JT), according to a local survey ...

Japan’s lack of support for HTPs at COP10 threatens harm reduction, says industry

Written by Freddie Dawson | 14th February 2024

Heated tobacco didn't receive any support from the Japanese government at COP10, and some stakeholders feared the entire premise of harm reduction and reduced-risk products could be under threat ...

Leaked document suggests New Zealand minister wants tax-free heated tobacco

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 12th February 2024

New Zealand’s new coalition government could be considering proposals to regulate tobacco products, as suggested by a document leaked to local press, including removing taxes from heated tobacco products ...

Herbal sticks are growing in popularity, but regulators might change their future

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 10th January 2024

Herbal heated sticks are spreading worldwide as a replacement for conventional smoking as well as an alternative to heated tobacco products ...

Ploom X international expansion has helped to boost JTI’s Q3 performance

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 31st October 2023

Japan Tobacco International (JTI) enjoyed a solid performance in the third quarter of the year, partially related to its Ploom X heated tobacco product geographic expansion ...

Smoking rates down thanks to lower-risk nicotine products, UK-based study says

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 19th October 2023

Reduced-risk nicotine products are competing with combustibles and lowering smoking rates, rather than encouraging consumers towards them, according to a new international study ...

Launch of PMI’s first non-tobacco stick raises regulatory questions

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 2nd October 2023

Philip Morris International (PMI) has launched a zero-tobacco stick called Levia for use with its heated tobacco device, Iqos. PMI is the first Big Tobacco to introduce these sticks, though others have marketed similar products...

22nd Century adjusts its 2023 revenue outlook after a rocky second quarter

Written by Freddie Dawson | 16th August 2023

22nd Century will focus on streamlining operating costs and making the marketing and sales push for its VLN cigarette products more cost efficient to address issues that have forced it to revise full-year profit guidance...

Japan Tobacco ready to put unexpected revenue boost back into heated tobacco

Written by Freddie Dawson | 3rd August 2023

Japan Tobacco (JT) is to ramp up investment in its production of heated tobacco sticks over the second half of 2023 after reporting better than expected results for the first six months of the year...

‘Must do better’ – BAT boss gives Hyper 2 a less than Glo-ing half-term report

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 27th July 2023

British American Tobacco (BAT) has reported a continued positive performance of its vapour and modern oral segment but said it needs to do more work on its heated tobacco products ...

Iluma to the fore as PMI builds up a head of steam towards its smoke-free future

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 25th July 2023

Philip Morris International (PMI) reported strong momentum over the first half of the year, driven by Iqos growth and the good performance of Swedish Match, accelerating the company’s transition to a smokeless future ...

Big in Japan, unfashionable in France – how attitudes to heated tobacco vary

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 29th June 2023

Attitudes towards heated tobacco vary, even between neighbouring countries, with a range of social factors affecting market conditions – as shown by differences between France and Switzerland, Japan and South Korea ...

22nd Century banks on big plans for its VLN cigarettes in the US and beyond

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 12th May 2023

US company 22nd Century will look to expand its international interests by launching trials in Switzerland and Japan as well as relaunching its low-nicotine conventional cigarette product in South Korea ...

JTI plans further launches for Ploom X after UK, Italy and Lithuania successes

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 9th May 2023

Japan Tobacco International (JTI) enjoyed a solid performance in the first three months of the year, boosted by a successful launch of its Ploom X heat-not-burn (HnB) device in Italy and Lithuania ...

Big Tobacco ‘moving too slowly’ to fulfil the FSFW’s mission of ending smoking

Written by Freddie Dawson | 9th May 2023

Tobacco companies are not doing enough to transition to reduced risk products and are not phasing out conventional cigarettes quickly enough, according to the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World (FSFW) ...

HnB weathers the rise in Japanese taxes as other forms of tobacco product are hit

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 20th April 2023

Heated tobacco has benefitted from an increase in excise duties on some tobacco products in Japan even though they meant a price rise for heat-not-burn (HnB) products too ...

Big Tobacco remains in love with novelty as it heads towards a smokeless future

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 3rd March 2023

The significance Big Tobacco companies are placing on novel tobacco products is demonstrated by the continued international expansion many are undertaking ...

‘More to come’ from non-combustibles – JTI has money to heat-not-burn

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 14th February 2023

A growing share of the Japanese heated tobacco market and the launch of the Ploom X heat-not-burn (HnB) device in the UK contributed to Japan Tobacco International (JTI) posting positive figures for 2022 ...

BAT delivers another Glo-ing report, with growth across all its novel categories

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 9th February 2023

British American Tobacco (BAT) enjoyed a 37% rise last year in revenues from novel products, with growing contributions across all three of its new categories, led by its brands Vuse, Velo and Glo Hyper ...

A good year for Big Tobacco, alternatively speaking, while rules are tightened

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 30th December 2022

The year gone by saw phenomenal growth across the global market for tobacco alternatives, including in the oral segment, heated tobacco and nicotine pouches ...

BAT reports ‘sustainable growth’, over 3m new consumers in non-combustibles

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 19th December 2022

British American Tobacco (BAT) said its “new category” business continues to drive substantial volume, revenue, and market share growth – significantly contributing to the company’s overall performance ...

Big Tobacco companies on the road to leaving Russian domestic market

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 7th November 2022

Tobacco producers from around the globe plan to complete their exit from the Russian market by the end of the year by transferring business to local partners, according to recent statements made by company representatives ...

Japan Tobacco plans more Ploom X launches abroad after success at home

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 2nd November 2022

Japan Tobacco (JT) has posted positive figures for the first nine months of the year, boosted by continued growth in the reduced-risk product category fuelled by the success of Ploom X in Japan ...

Altria goes into partnership with JTI to tackle US heated tobacco market

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 27th October 2022

Tobacco giants Altria and JT Group are to form a joint venture to market in the US heated tobacco stick products owned and developed by either company ...

PMI reports strong Q3 results, talks smoke-free, Altria and Swedish Match

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 24th October 2022

Philip Morris International (PMI) reported strong third quarter results in terms of revenue but saw a number of setbacks in shipment volumes as it looks to meet its goal of becoming a majority smoke-free company...

Swedish Match awarded top marks for transformation to reduced risk

Written by Barnaby Page | 29th September 2022

Swedish Match was the clear winner in this year’s Tobacco Transformation Index, which ranks major tobacco companies on their shift toward reduced-risk products ...

While other countries have gone with a flavour ban, menthol is still big in Japan

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 29th August 2022

Japan currently has no intention of following the US and Europe with a ban on menthol-flavoured tobacco products ...

Ploom X leads the way for JTI in Japan as popular switch to reduced risk goes on

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 3rd August 2022

Japan Tobacco International (JTI) has reported increases in sales of reduced-risk products, helping offset falling shipment volumes of combustible tobacco products ...

BAT confident Hyper X2 can add to its Glo-ing performance in HnB and oral

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 28th July 2022

British American Tobacco (BAT) saw revenue from its new products category portfolio rise by 45% in the first half of the year, with good returns from its modern oral and heated tobacco portfolio ...

JTI reports strong Q1 performance despite uncertainties over Ukraine war

Written by Tiziana Cauli | 29th April 2022

Japan Tobacco International (JTI) saw its revenues increase by 6.2% to JPY581.5bn ($4.5bn) in the first quarter of 2022, despite uncertainties over its business in Russia, compared with 5.3% growth to JPY547.3bn ($4.2bn) in the...

PMI reveals 'solid performance', with significant growth in its HnB portfolio

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 22nd April 2022

Philip Morris International (PMI) saw positive numbers for the first quarter of 2022, with Iqos Iluma performing well in Japan, Switzerland and Spain ...

HnB takes more than 30% of the Japanese tobacco market for the first time ever

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 8th March 2022

Heat-not-burn (HnB) products took more than a third of the total tobacco market in Japan for the first time, in the last quarter of 2021, as the shift from traditional cigarettes continued ...

JTI puts heated tobacco growth at the heart of its plans for a reduced risk future

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 16th February 2022

Japan Tobacco International (JTI) will look to prioritise heated tobacco as part of its commitment to break even on its reduced risk portfolio (RRP) by 2027 ...

Heated tobacco successes help PMI stay positive as cigarette sales go on sliding

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 14th February 2022

Philip Morris International (PMI) posted positive numbers for 2021, helped by higher unit volumes in heated tobacco and outstanding initial results from its fourth-generation heated tobacco device Iqos Iluma ...

Meta-analysis study emphasises the lack of high-quality research into HnB

Written by Barnaby Page | 13th January 2022

The heated tobacco sector has, compared with its cousin vapour, always suffered from a lack of scientific research and from the perception that most of what does exist is industry-funded ...

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