A CRUCIAL ISSUE FOR THE CIGAR INDUSTRY

Due to the increasing amount of legislation in recent years, the handmade cigar industry is facing a headache, – and we at Taylors Tobacconists in Brighton, have started to plan for forthcoming major legislation.

Track and trace is due to come into force for handmade cigars on May 20, 2024, and is mainly designed to tackle the massive trade in black market cigarettes.

The hand-rolled cigar, in comparison is made in tiny numbers, at great expense of time yet it, too, will be included in the new law, which will effectively require every box, or in some cases, every tube, of cigars to be labelled with information that can be used to track its exact origin and travel path to place of sale. Of course, this will make cigars more expensive for the consumer.

During the first event on this topic, track and trace experts like Paul Varakas of the European Cigar Manufacturer Association were on hand to offer live explanations and advice – and the floor was thrown open to manufacturers and distributors to ask questions about their forthcoming responsibilities. Another expert in the field is Leonhard Kipphan of Denthu, the company has been selected by both the. EU and the UK government to operate its central track and trace system.

This is a complex and crucial issue for the cigar industry in Europe and beyond at the moment, which represents many major New World cigar makers in the UK.

The fact is, burying your head in the sand about this will mean you simply won’t be able to sell your products come 2024. It sounds a long way off, but some important decisions have to be made by importers and manufacturers by the end of the year.

Responsibility for the labelling of boxes is an industry hot potato. Different countries have different ideas about what needs to be included to comply with international laws, and distributors are being increasingly leaned upon to add yet another sticker to a box of cigars before shipping them on to their retailers.

If you would like to know more about this interesting topic, please do contact us today.