Business

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

Is Tabacalera de Garcia, which employs 2,000 people in the Dominican Republic, likely to close due to US sanctions against the Cambodian businessman?   The Dominican Republic’s Tabacalera de Garcia, the world’s largest cigar factory, can no longer sell its cigars in the United States due to sanctions imposed by US authorities against Cambodian businessman Chen Zhi, accused of massive

“The necessary measures are underway to ensure that Chen Zhi is completely removed from our operations,” Tabacalera told AFP.   Cambodian businessman Chen Zhi, a fugitive wanted by US authorities for massive cyber fraud, will be removed from the shareholding of Habanos S.A., Tabacalera told Agence France-Presse (AFP). Habanos S.A. is a joint venture owned equally by the Cuban state

Read current and previous issues here and don’t miss the following ones  

The Association of Dominican Cigar Manufacturers (Procigar) announces the launch of its Retailer Exclusive Program, a new initiative reserved specifically for retailers attending the upcoming Procigar Festival 2026, scheduled to take place from February 17th to 20th, 2026 in Santiago de Los Caballeros, Dominican Republic. The Procigar Retailer Exclusive Program offers a one-of-a-kind opportunity for cigar retailers worldwide to access

Elite Trading Scandinavia AB, a subsidiary of Habanos SA in Sweden, has until December 10 to prove that it has no connection with Cambodian businessman Chen Zhi, who is being prosecuted by US authorities for cyber fraud.   Wherever he is, Chen Zhi, the Cambodian businessman of Chinese origin, is watching the empire he built in about ten years crumble

Charly Spriet’s company will distribute the Dominican brand from January 1, 2026. Albana Tobacco will take over distribution of the entire Arturo Fuente catalog in France starting January 1, 2026, its manager, Charly Spriet, announced to L’Amateur. The company has already been distributing cigars manufactured by Fuente for the American company Prometheus (God of Fire, Opus X Lost City, etc.)

Embassy officials “buy boxes for $50 and resell them for $1,000 abroad,” says the defecting diplomat.   The North Korean embassy in Havana is home to a cigar smuggling operation, former North Korean diplomat Lee Il-Kyu revealed in an interview with the Spanish news agency EFE. Il-Kyu served in Havana on several occasions between 2011 and 2023, notably as the

The renegotiation of distribution agreements in Europe began after the divorce announced last August between the Dominican brand and Meerapfel Söhne.   The game has begun to reshuffle, just over two months after the break in relations between Arturo Fuente and Meerapfel Söhne. Alexis Aazam Zanganeh has announced that his company, Great O Legacy Distribution & Co (G.O.L.D. & Co),