Business

The Bundestag has passed the tobacco tax reform, rejecting the dramatic increase that had threatened cigars and cigarillos. The ad valorem tax rate will ultimately rise to 3.83%, rather than the 21.05% envisaged under the worst-case scenario. The German Cigar Manufacturers Association (BdZ) welcomes a compromise that has averted the worst. Update, October 16, 2026 — Relief is now official

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Facing an ultimatum from cigar importers, the Norwegian Ministry of Health has suspended the collection of registration fees. Update (October 13, 2026) – The industry’s ultimatum has hit home. Confronted with the imminent threat of legal action before the Oslo District Court (Oslo tingrett) filed by the country’s leading importers (Augusto International, SOL Cigar Co., M. Sørensen, etc.), the Norwegian

The target of 12,000 hectares of plantings in the province of Pinar del Río is close to the results of previous years. The 2026-2027 Cuban tobacco season was officially kicked off at the La Palma tobacco collection and processing company (ABT) in Pinar del Río, singled out for its results during the previous season. The state-owned group Tabacuba plans to

Nine years after its London launch as a Limited Edition, the Cohiba Talismán returns to the British capital as a regular-production cigar. Its presentation in London on October 7, before some 400 guests, also marked the start of the celebrations for the 60th anniversary of Habanos’ most prestigious brand. There was a certain logic to seeing the Cohiba Talismán return

After thirty years in Cuba, British American Tobacco has sold its 50% stake in Brascuba to Tabacuba, leaving the state-owned group with the keys to the cigarette company. British American Tobacco (BAT), the British giant, no longer has any presence in Cuba. Last February, it sold its 50% stake in Brascuba, a cigarette-manufacturing joint venture created in 1995 with the

To mark its centenary, VCF (Oliva, Nub, Aliados…) wanted to share a century of family history and Belgian roots with the public through an exhibition at the National Tobacco Museum in Wervik. The municipality rejected the project, citing anti-smoking legislation. VCF has publicly expressed its regret over this decision. A century of history, yet no exhibition to tell the story.

A Spanish national of Cuban origin traveling by bus between southern Spain and Paris was intercepted with a thousand illegal Cuban cigars.   During a routine check at the La Jonquera border crossing on September 23, the National Police border unit seized 997 cigars from well-known brands, according to the Spanish daily La Vanguardia and the local newspaper Diari de

The Havana-based group has announced a new Marketing Director, with further executive moves expected.   Dariel Regal Veitia, a former torcedor at the H. Upmann factory, has been appointed Operational Marketing Director, Habanos S.A. announced across its social media channels on Wednesday, September 30. He succeeds Beatriz Garrido Garcia, who was appointed to the role in 2023. No details were

At Intertabac, New World manufacturers and importers are no longer taking quite such pleasure in Cuba’s troubles. The tongue-in-cheek “thank you, Cuba!” heard from many industry professionals after Covid has given way to deeper concern over the troubles facing Cuban cigars and the continued absence — or under-representation — of Habanos in cigar shops around the world. The Germans who

The importer continues to supply cigar shops. But every one of its financial transactions must now be cleared by Spanish authorities. Because of the European sanctions against Chen Zhi, Tabacalera SLU’s bank accounts are frozen and the company is now operating under close supervision from the Spanish state, L’Amateur de Cigare has learned. Unlike German importer Fifth Avenue, Tabacalera still

Any disposal by Fifth Avenue of its assets now requires the approval of the preliminary administrator. The Waldshut-Tiengen district court ordered, on Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at 5 p.m., the preliminary insolvency administration of Fifth Avenue Products Trading-GmbH, the exclusive importer of Cuban cigars for Germany, Austria and Poland. The proceedings are registered under case number 4 IN 194/26. According

As the country prepares to host the tobacco industry in Dortmund, the sector is alarmed by a potential 50% price hike starting this coming January 1st. A 50% increase in the retail price of most cigars. That’s the fear among manufacturers, distributors and retailers in Germany, as the country prepares to host the tobacco world from September 15 to 17

Fifth Avenue Trading has told its customers it is temporarily suspending its business activities. Fifth Avenue, one of Europe’s leading distributors of Cuban cigars, has announced that it has been forced to temporarily suspend its operations. In an email sent to German cigar retailers on Friday, September 4, the company said it was no longer able to accept new orders

“Looking at our future vision and priorities, we have decided to end our membership with ProCigar,” explains the Swiss group, a founding member of the association. Davidoff leaves the Dominican producers’ association Procigar, the Swiss group announced in a statement sent to L’Amateur de Cigare. When asked by L’Amateur about the absence of visits to its plantations and/or factory from

The Dominican Cigar Festival will take place from February 16 to 19.   Registration is now open for the Procigar Festival, taking place from February 16 to 19, 2027, in the Dominican Republic. The event features three days of factory and field tours, interspersed with festive evening gatherings. The program also includes two “Power Talks” led by Dominican cigar industry

The founder of C. Gars Ltd “is no longer a shareholder or employee” of Dominique London, the group announced in a statement.   In 2021, the merger of Mitchell Orchant’s C.Gars Ltd and Dominique Gyselinck’s La Casa del Tabaco Group gave rise to Dominique London (DL), which today owns over 30 brick-and-mortar shops across seven European countries. “In the five

“My grandfather loved cigars, and no doubt he would have violently disapproved of any alteration such as this,” says Lord Soames, Winston Churchill’s grandson.   Sir Winston Churchill would have “violently disapproved” of the plain packaging for cigars proposed by the Labour Party, his grandson Lord Soames told the British daily The Telegraph. Lord Soames added that reports regarding the