Business

Scandinavian Tobacco Group (Macanudo, CAO, Silencio…) has confirmed to L’Amateur the elimination of 54 positions, including 47 redundancies.   This is information the group had not previously made public. Contacted by L’Amateur, Scandinavian Tobacco Group’s (STG) communications department officially acknowledged the elimination of “54 positions”, including 47 redundancies, with “the majority being in Europe”. The remaining seven positions were vacant

The organizers of InterTabac Dortmund sign a partnership with the European Cigar Manufacturers Association (ECMA).   The European Cigar Manufacturers Association (ECMA) and Messe Dortmund, organizer of InterTabac, the world’s largest tobacco trade fair, are joining forces to “strengthen the show” and “revitalize the cigar segment.” “Following the show’s expansion to include new nicotine products, strategic adjustments are necessary to

He received the Habanos Award (Production category) in 2014 for his entire career. Photo of Arnaldo Vichot Rojo published on February 19, 2026 on Tabacuba’s Facebook page   Arnaldo Vichot Rojo, former master blender at the Partagás factory, has died, the state-owned Tabacuba group announced. “It is with deep respect and great admiration that we bid farewell to Arnaldo Vichot

The fire, probably caused by a spark, resulted in no injuries. 1,200 square meters of infrastructure were reduced to ashes.   A fire caused nearly $200,000 in losses on Friday, February 13, when it ravaged a drying warehouse belonging to Tabacos de Oriente de Nicaragua, a subsidiary of the Plasencia Cigars Group, one of the world’s largest cigar tobacco producers.

Official confirmation. The Organizing Committee of the Habano Festival announces a “postponement” of the 2026 edition. A new date “will be announced in a timely manner.”   Official confirmation of the information published by L’Amateur earlier today. The 2026 Festival del Habano, initially scheduled for February 23-27, has been postponed “with the aim of preserving the highest standards of quality,

The event was scheduled to take place from February 23 to 27 in Cuba. It will be rescheduled, according to multiple sources. The 2026 Habanos Festival will be postponed, according to concordant sources, although Habanos S.A. has not yet made an official announcement. The event was scheduled to take place from February 23 to 27 in Cuba. However, the island

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Importer Hunters & Frankau has declined to comment. A 50% drop in Cuban cigar deliveries since the start of the year. A de facto rationing reported by most UK cigar retailers we contacted over the past few hours, following an article published by Cigar Inspector, a website owned by the Dominique London group, which operates several cigar shops in the

The American manufacturer of Liga Privada and Undercrown is changing distributors in four European countries.   Eurotab is the new distributor of Drew Estate in France. “We are very pleased to take over this highly anticipated brand,” Sandro Stroili, president of Eurotab, told L’Amateur. The first shipment is expected in March or April. Around thirty different references have already been

The group led by Dominique Gyselinck and Frederic Dechamps is recruiting the former Managing Director of Maori Tabacs, distributor of Cuban cigars in Andorra.   Dominique London announces the appointment of Miquel Angel Palacios i Moliner as Group Operations Manager. “This strategic appointment further strengthens the group’s global management structure and supports its continued expansion across key international markets,” Dominique

The regional marketing director of the Asian group has resigned. He will leave PCC at the end of June.   Norio Hattori, regional marketing director for The Pacific Cigar Company (PCC), will be leaving the exclusive distributor of Cuban cigars in Asia at the end of June, he announced to L’Amateur de Cigare. The French-Japanese executive joined PCC in 2012

The world’s largest factory, hit by US sanctions against Chen Zhi, is operating at 40-45% of its production capacity, according to our sources.   Tabacalera de Garcia (TG), the world’s largest cigar manufacturer located in the Dominican Republic, is currently operating at 40-45% of its capacity and has had to lay off approximately 600 rollers, according to multiple sources. Due

Dominique Gyselinck’s group will open a new shop in the Grand Duchy in the second quarter of 2026. Dominique London announces the upcoming opening of a new boutique in Luxembourg. Including La Casa del Habano Pall Mall in London, which will open on March 25, the Dominique Gyselinck group will then have 33 establishments across seven European countries (Belgium, Switzerland,

The price increase “due to increase of global inflation and increasing costs from the suppliers” will take effect on February 1st. The Canadian Habanos distributor Havana House, has sent its retailers the annual notice advising them of a price increase on Cuban cigars.  The notice states that the increases “are due to increase of global inflation and increasing costs from their

The prices published in the Official Journal show an average increase of approximately 5%.   The retail prices of Cuban cigars in France will increase by approximately 5% starting February 1, 2026, according to the price list published on January 13 by French Customs. The Partagas D4, one of the best-selling cigars in France and worldwide, will thus increase from

The Cambodian businessman of Chinese origin has been indicted by US authorities for massive cyber fraud.   Chen Zhi, a shareholder of Habanos SA, who was being prosecuted by US authorities for massive cyber fraud, has been arrested in Cambodia and deported to China. Cambodian authorities “arrested three Chinese nationals, Chen Zhi, Xu Ji Liang, and Shao Ji Hui, and

All tickets for the 26th edition of the Festival del Habano (February 23-27, 2026) have been sold through exclusive distributors.   “Due to the extraordinary demand generated by Cohiba’s 60th anniversary, all tickets have been sold exclusively through the Habanos SA distribution network,” the Havana-based group announced in an email to these distributors two months before the 2026 Festival del

Great Wall Cigar GX Lion’s Glory is launched in the Netherlands. This is the first time that premium cigars made in China have been officially imported into Europe.   Great Wall Cigars (GWC), the largest Chinese cigar brand, announces the launch of the GX Lion’s Glory in the Netherlands. The first Chinese cigar officially marketed in Europe, the GWC GX