Monde du cigare

A court ruling in the British Virgin Islands paves the way for companies linked to the Chinese-Cambodian businessman to be returned to their directors — a development that could further complicate operations across the Cuban cigar industry. It is a victory for Chen Zhi. But not necessarily good news for distributors of Cuban cigars. On October 21, a judge in

“Fifth Avenue is insolvent, not because it cannot pay, but because it is not allowed to,” says its insolvency administrator. Fifth Avenue has substantial cash reserves and well-stocked warehouses. Yet the exclusive importer of Cuban cigars in Germany, Austria and Poland has now entered formal insolvency proceedings. The Local Court of Waldshut-Tiengen opened the proceedings on Sunday, November 1, and

Founder of the American magazine Cigar Aficionado in 1992, Marvin Shanken died on October 29 at the age of 83. He did not start the cigar boom of the 1990s, but he played a significant role in fueling it. Marvin Shanken, founder and publisher of Cigar Aficionado, died on Thursday, October 29, at the age of 83, the American magazine

The cigar manufacturer has signed an agreement with Florida International University (FIU) to develop new tobacco production methods. The goal is to improve yields and quality while reducing costs. Initial experiments are scheduled to begin in 2027. Tobacco production methods have not evolved as quickly as they should have. With this in mind, Christian Eiroa, owner of CLE Cigars, has

The ban on smoking on the terrace has also been postponed to an indefinite date due to modifications requested by the Council of State. The ban on smoking on outdoor terraces and the closure of designated smoking rooms in Belgium—originally scheduled for January 1, 2027—have been postponed. This information was reported by the Belgian daily Het Laatste Nieuws and confirmed

With Germany’s Habanos distributor in insolvency proceedings since early September, Habanos S.A. is refusing to allow the country’s La Casa del Habano stores to sell cigars from other origins.   In a letter sent on October 22 to German La Casa del Habano (LCDH) franchisees, a copy of which was obtained by L’Amateur de Cigare, Fifth Avenue reveals that discussions

Named La Gran Cata (the grand tasting), this first edition will take place from January 23 to 27, 2027. Tickets are on sale on the event website. Registration is now open for the inaugural Honduras Cigar Festival, which will take place from January 23 to 27. Following the arrival of international participants on January 23 at Palmerola Airport (XPL), the

The Havana-based group announces a new Quality Director. Further personnel changes are expected. Update (October 21, 2026) — The reorganization of the Habanos S.A. executive team continues. Following the recent appointment of Dariel Regal Veitia as Director of Operational Marketing and the confirmation of Alberto Donar Cruz Rojas as Vice President of Sales, the group has announced the appointment of

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

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

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

📌 OUTCOME (October 21, 2026) — Total victory for the Norwegian cigar industry: facing legal action from importers, the government has officially suspended the collection of registration fees until a fair sector-based levy is introduced in spring 2027. Read our latest article Hundreds of thousands of cigars stuck in warehouses or, worse, destined for the flames of an incinerator. This

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

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