Globally Reported Tobacco Industry Interference during COVID-19 Pandemic - December 2020

This is a continuation of our page on Globally Reported Tobacco Industry Interference during COVID-19 Pandemic and summarises the incidents reported during the month of December 2020. This page will be continuously updated as and when incidents related to the month of December are reported.

The Summary of Interference Reported as of 31st December 2020

Table 1 summarises the incidents reported since 13th March 2020, the date of initiation of Lock Down in Sri Lanka, the day we started monitoring Globally Reported Tobacco Industry Interference during COVID-19 Pandemic.

Table 1: Summary of reported TII during COVID-19 Pandemic

Tobacco Company	Reported Countries	Number of Incidents
British American Tobacco (BAT)	South Africa, United States of America (USA), United Kingdom (UK), Brazil, Kenya, Bangladesh, Croatia, Mexico, Nigeria, Honduras, Russia, Malaysia, Zimbabwe	78
Philip Morris International (PMI)	Brazil, Costa Rica, Greece, Turkey, Italy, Philippines, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Georgia, Russia	40
Japan Tobacco International (JTI)	United Kingdom (UK), Bangladesh, Turkey, Malaysia, Philippines, Russia, South Africa, Zambia	35
Altria group	United Sates of America (USA)	36
Imperial Tobacco	Russia	27
ITC Limited India	India	12
Korea Tobacco Ginseng Corporation (KT&G)	Indonesia, Turkey, Russia	6
Reynolds American	United Sates of America (USA)	4
VMR Products	United Sates of America (USA)	2
Godfrey Phillips India	India	3
Ceylon Tobacco Company PLC (CTC)	Sri Lanka	3
DJarum	Indonesia	2
PT HM Sampoerna	Indonesia	1
Hongyunhonghe Tobacco (Group)	-	2
7 HILLS Manikchand Products Private Limited	India	2
Deccan Tobacco	India	1
Vinataba Tobacco Company	Vietnam	1
International Tobacco Company	Nigeria	1
LT Group	Philippines	1
China Tobacco	China	2
Gamucci	United Kingdom, United States of America (USA), Asia and Africa	1
Barco Trading Company	Angola	1
Pan Africa Tobacco Group	Angola	1
Company not specified or interference via Front Groups	United Arab Emirates, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, Malaysia, Australia, Lebanon, Senegal, Sri Lanka, France, Myanmar, India, Chile, South Africa, Kenya, Bhutan	38

Week 38: 30th November 2020- 6th December 2020

None reported as of January 2021.

Week 39: 7th - 13th December 2020

• The Research Unit on the Economics of Excisable Products (REEP) at the University of Cape Town conducted a survey on the market share and reported that an increase is seen only in the ‘Winston’ brand after the tobacco ban is lifted in South Africa.
• British American Tobacco (BAT) announced that the sales impact from the COVID-19 pandemic would be 2.5%, which is lower than they expected (3%) earlier.
• Qurate Research institute issued a report titled Global Electronic Cigarette and Tobacco Vapor Market Report 2020 by Key Players, Types, Applications, Countries, Market Size, Forecast to 2026 (Based on 2020 COVID-19 Worldwide Spread), mentioning Philip Morris International (PMI), British American Tobacco (BAT), Japan Tobacco International (JTI), Imperial Brands, MCIG Inc, JUUL Labs, Altria Group, NJOY, LLC and Turning Point Brands.

Week 40: 14th - 20th December 2020

• British American Tobacco (BAT) published a report on the global impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on human rights on UN Human Rights Day. It highlighted the company’s activitiesrelated to the pandemic including developing a potential COVID-19 vaccine candidate, producing personal protective equipment and sanitisers and activities like financial donations and distribution of various items including the above.
• Fair-Trade Independent Tobacco Association (FITA) praised the Western Cape High Court for indicating that the ban on tobacco products during lockdown as “unnecessary”. FITA is a front group of South African cigarette manufacturers observed to be highly active on matters related to the cigarette sales ban in South Africa during the lock-down.
• Media reported that United Sates Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave the approval to Bio Processing of British American Tobacco (BAT) to initiate the phase I clinical trials on COVID-19 vaccine.

Image 1: Media reporting the US Food and Drug Administration’s approval to start clinical trials for BAT’s vaccine

• This week, market research institutes issued 8 reports mentioning COVID-19 impact on the tobacco industry. The reports are summarised in the Table 2.

Table 2: Summary of published market research reports during week 40

Market research institute	Title of the report	Tobacco companies mentioned
Reports Monitor	Global E-cigarette and Vaping Market Report 2020	Altria Group, British American Tobacco (BAT), Imperial Brands, International Vapor Group, Japan Tobacco International (JTI), NicQuid, Philip Morris International (PMI), R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company, Shenzhen IVPS Technology Co., Ltd., and Shenzhen KangerTech Technology Co., Ltd.
A2Z Market Research	Global Dipping Tobacco Market Report 2020 by Key Players, Types, Applications, Countries, Market Size, Forecast to 2026 (Based on 2020 COVID-19 Worldwide Spread)	American, Manikchand Group, British American Tobacco (BAT), International, Dharampal Satyapal Group, Kayak Outdoors, Imperial Brands, Tobacco International(JTI), JMJ Group, American Snuff Co, Altria Group, Inc., Swedish Match and Pinkerton Tobacco.
Credible Markets	Global Pipe Tobacco Market Report 2020 By Key Players, Types, Applications, Countries, Market Size, Forecast To 2026 (Based On 2020 COVID-19 Worldwide Spread)	Altria Group, Japan Tobacco International(JTI), Mac Baren, British American Tobacco (BAT), Universal Corporation, U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company, Gallaher Group Plc, R.J. Reynolds, Reynolds American Tobacco Company and Imperial Brands.
Report Ocean	Covid-19 Outbreak-Global Tobacco And Hookah Industry Market Report-Development Trends, Threats, Opportunities And Competitive Landscape In 2020	Reynolds Tobacco Company, Starbuzz Hookahs, Evolution Hookahs, Anahi Hookahs, Regal Hookahs, Imperial Brands, Japan Tobacco International(JTI), Tobacco, Mya Hookah, British American Tobacco (BAT) and Altria Group.
Hing Chun Research	Electronic Cigarette and Tobacco Vapor Market Size 2020, Share, Global Industry Analysis and Competitive Landscape (Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic)	Philip Morris International (PMI), British American Tobacco (BAT), Japan Tobacco International (JTI), Imperial Brands, MCIG Inc,JUUL Labs, Altria Group, NJOY, Turning Point Brands.
HTF Market Intelligence	Global Electronic Cigarette and Tobacco Vapor Market Report 2020 by Key Players, Types, Applications, Countries, Market Size, Forecast to 2026 (Based on 2020 COVID-19 Worldwide Spread)	Philip Morris International (PMI), British American Tobacco (BAT), Japan Tobacco International (JTI), https://www.imperialbrandsplc.com/index.html Imperial Brands], MCIG Inc, JUUL Labs, Altria Group, NJOY and Turning Point Brands.
A2Z Market Research	Global Tobacco Additives Market Report 2020 by Key Players, Types, Applications, Countries, Market Size, Forecast to 2026 (Based on 2020 COVID-19 Worldwide Spread)	Altria Group, Imperial Brands, VMR Products, Japan Tobacco International (JTI), Philip Morris International (PMI), Korea Tobacco & Ginseng Corporation (KT&G), Reynolds Tobacco Company, Liggett Group, Inc., China Tobacco, American electronic cigarette company, British American Tobacco (BAT), Brown and Williamson.
HTF Market Intelligence	COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Out-of-home Food and Beverage Industry Market Report-Development Trends, Threats, Opportunities and Competitive Landscape in 2020	Imperial Brands and Philip Morris International (PMI).