Phillipines: Market data & legal analysis of the nicotine sector

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 ...

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 ...

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...

Southeast Asia regulatory round-up, July 2024

Written by Freddie Dawson | 26th July 2024

Expect a flurry of regulations on vaping and other alternative nicotine products in Southeast Asia over the second half of 2024. TobaccoIntelligence looks at regulatory developments in the region ...

BAT’s Glo disappears from market in Malaysia, Philippines and South Africa

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 5th July 2024

The Glo heated tobacco device from British American Tobacco (BAT) appears to have been pulled from at least three international markets, where TobaccoIntelligence has noted that BAT no longer lists Glo as available ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

PMI accelerates smoke-free growth in Q3, fuelled by Zyn nicotine pouch sales in US

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 20th October 2023

Strong sales momentum behind PMI’s Zyn nicotine pouches in the US helped drive the company’s growth in the third quarter, with US sales volume up nearly 66% on the same quarter in 2022 ...

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...

PMI reports good numbers, positive momentum of Iqos and Zyn in the US

Written by Freddie Dawson | 28th April 2023

Philip Morris International will focus on heated tobacco and nicotine pouches as the alternatives that can help it meet its goal of becoming a majority smoke-free revenue company by 2025 ...

PMI puts its new Bonds heat-not-burn system to the test in the Philippines

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 23rd November 2022

Philip Morris International (PMI) has launched its latest heat-not-burn tobacco-heating system, Bonds by Iqos, along with its compatible tobacco sticks, Blends, using the Philippines as a pilot market ...

PMI invests $150m to increase Heets production in the Philippines

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 25th October 2022

Philip Morris International (PMI) is investing an additional PHP8.8bn ($150m) in its affiliate company PMFTC to increase production of its heated tobacco sticks in the Philippines ...

Fury in the Philippines as new president lets novel tobacco bill lapse into law

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 28th July 2022

Calls for the president to veto the Philippines Vape Regulation Bill – and a change of government – failed to derail the bill, which also regulates heated tobacco and other novel tobacco products ...

Are flavours in pouches set to be the next battleground for tobacco alternatives?

Written by Freddie Dawson | 30th June 2022

Flavours in nicotine pouches could become the next contentious issue for tobacco alternatives, following a similar route to e-liquid flavours, experts say ...

Do sin taxes achieve the desired effect, or do they add up to a temptation to sin?

Written by Aidan Semmens | 17th February 2022

Whatever the motives behind it, punitive or would-be persuasive taxation has many of the same drawbacks as prohibition ...

Philippine doctors urge president to veto novel tobacco bill over addiction fears

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 3rd February 2022

The Philippine College of Physicians is lobbying against a bill to regulate vaping and novel tobacco products. They object to a lower age limit and the removal of flavour restrictions ...

TobaccoIntelligence's predictions for 2021 reviewed – how well did we do?

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 21st January 2022

TobaccoIntelligence showed excellent understanding of the industry and a capacity for accurate analysis with its 2021 predictions, most of which hit during the year ...

What caused a scrap in the Philippines government over tobacco alternatives?

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 24th November 2021

Conflict between public health and political-economic interests seems to be the main reason behind an internal dispute between the Philippine delegation to COP9 and officials at the country’s Department of Health ...

Concern grows over influencers' social media promotion of tobacco products

Written by Antonia Di Lorenzo | 10th November 2021

The misleading advertising of tobacco alternatives on social media has become a critical concern of public health groups and some governments around the world ...

Did Philippines FDA break the law hiring tobacco staff with Bloomberg cash?

Written by David Palacios Rubio | 23rd June 2021

The Philippines Food and Drug Administration is under public scrutiny after being accused of acting unlawfully in accepting foreign donations from a non-government organisation funded by the anti-tobacco Bloomberg Initiative ...

Filipino government issues packaging restrictions amid FDA cash scandal

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 28th December 2020

A joint memorandum from several government agencies laying down rules for tobacco-alternative products in the Philippines establishes new restrictions on flavours and changes to labelling requirements ...

PMI opens IQOS stores to an uncertain regulatory future in the Philippines

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 8th September 2020

While the Philippines debates regulations to restrict tobacco alternatives, PMFTC, the Philippine affiliate of Philip Morris International (PMI), has opened its first four IQOS stores in the Manila area ...

Philippines proposes new restrictions for HnB online retailers

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 3rd August 2020

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the Philippines proposed new restrictions for vaping and heated tobacco products in the revised draft guidelines regulating their manufacture, importation, sale, packaging, advertising, and distribution ...

Philippines FDA lookening to tighten the screw on alternative products

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 18th June 2020

The Philippines Food and Drug Administration (FDA) appears to be tightening its grip on tobacco alternatives with a detailed proposal to regulate heat-not-burn (HnB) and vapour products ...

Duterte hands down new regulations on heated tobacco in the Philippines

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 13th March 2020

Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte has issued an executive order placing a range of restrictions on heated tobacco and “other novel tobacco products” ...

Philippines vapour industry faces hike in taxes before they even come in

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 10th September 2019

Barely a month after Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte signed a law setting taxes on heated tobacco and vaping products, the House of Representatives has opted to change the entire tax...

Philippines puts tax on HnB and e-cigs, bans public space use

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 5th August 2019

The Philippines is bent on clamping down on public vaping and imposing a new excise tax on heated tobacco and vapour...

IQOS flourishes across Southeast Asia – without PMI’s approval

Written by TobaccoIntelligence | 6th February 2018

The IQOS heated tobacco system is on sale across Southeast Asia, despite doubts over its legality in a number of countries, and the official disapproval of its maker, PMI ...

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