TI Editorial

On Smuggling, Brexit and an all-Virginia Cigarette

Which state in the Union has the dubious distinction of ranking number one in smuggled cigarettes? The answer to that question is laid out in detail in this month’s story “Smuggling smokes.” Now, I am sure I am not revealing anything that anybody doesn’t know when I say that New York has continued to be the top in-bound smuggling destination in the United States. But the scale of the situation did surprise me a bit: Nearly 56 percent of all cigarettes consumed in New York were smuggled in from somewhere else! See page 16 for several surprises on the subject of contraband.

JTI has a strong opinion on smuggling as well. Besides the many other ills illegal trade causes, “It threatens wider society as organized crime networks involved in illegal tobacco trade are often also involved in human trafficking and terrorism.” For more see” JTI Makes Progress Toward Tobacco Sustainability” on page 22.

Could Britain’s next Prime Minister be pro-smoking thanks to Brexit? The maverick English politician Nigel Farage could turn out to be a refreshing change politically speaking with his unashamed taste for cigarettes, going along with his rabid endorsement of Brexit.

The United States is the home of the American blend cigarette—fluecured, burley and Oriental—and since early in the last century, almost all brands made here have followed that recipe. But now a group of farmers in the Southeast U.S. is taking the chance that consumers might switch to a high-quality British blend cigarette that contains nothing but flue-cured and a little water. They call it Manitou and are marketing it themselves. Learn more about it on page 13.

Speaking of new products, Imperial has just launched an innovative heated tobacco product called Pulze as a test in Japan. It is part of a number of new initiatives the company has going. See “A good six months for Imperial” on page 24. Also this month, we report on ITG Brand’s new CEO, Oliver Kutz, who has taken the leadership role at Imperial’s affiliate in Greensboro. Read the details on page 27. Also on page 27, you will find a report from Universal on the effect of the recent cyclones in Africa. And on page 30, learn about a new approach to the problem of controlling insects in stored tobacco in the story “A low oxygen solution.”

And look next month for more tobacco news and analysis in our July/August issue.

—Christopher Bickers, Editor-In-Chief