The District of Columbia District Court ruled against the FDA on a packaging change constituting a new product on the market. The ruling from Judge Amit Mehta states that a change in logo, colors, packaging and/or cigar bands does not constitute a new product and companies do not need to file for substantial equivalence. The actual ruling can be read below: 8-16-16-Order-Case-No.-15-cv-1590
In the District of Columbia District Court, Judge Amit Mehta ruled against the FDA on a lawsuit over what constitutes a new product. The Lawsuit filed by Altria, Lorillard and Reynolds America argued what constituted a new product. According to the FDA, a new cigar band or change in packaging would constitute a new cigar and companies would need to file for substantial equivalence. The ruling states that a change in logo, colors, packaging and/or […]
Each year, for the past 24 years, David Garofalo who hosts The Cigar Authority Podcast (www.TheCigarAuthority.com) has made the announcement for the Contenders for the Cigar of the Year. Much like the nominees for the Academy Awards, the Contenders for the Cigar of the Year is announced late in the year, but this year it was moved ahead… way ahead. This year the announcement for The Contenders for The Cigar of the Year took place […]
Tobacconists’ Association of America, association for industry leading brick and mortar retailers in the premium cigar and pipe industry, has donated $50,000 towards the legal costs associated with the recent joint lawsuit against the FDA’s regulation of premium cigars and pipes. The contribution will be equally split between the IPCPR (International Premium Cigar and Pipes Retailers) and CRA (Cigar Rights of America). Tiffany Rumbo, owner of Club Humidor in San Antonio, TX and President of the Tobacconists […]
Why Did U.S. Customs Cut My Cigars in Half? Another Editorial by David Garofalo Just 1 week ago, on August 8, 2016 the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) began its control over cigars with vague and overreaching regulations (known as the deeming regulations) that will undoubtedly find its way through the courts to see if any of this is not only Unconstitutional, but not at all reasonable. Beginning on August 8 and with the very […]
Cigars are being destroyed at the Port of Miami and it appears that US Customs and Border Protection are behind it. Earlier this week a shipment from Davidoff reached a retailer in New Hampshire. The normal packing tape was replaced with green tape denoting US Customs and Border Protection. This tell tale sign showed evidence that the box of cigars was searched. Upon opening the box many of the cigar boxes inside were open and […]
On August 8, 2016, FDA’s deeming regulations went into effect, extending FDA’s authority over tobacco products to cover cigars, e-cigarettes, and all other tobacco products. Although additional requirements relating to cigar manufacture, packaging, labeling, and promotion will be implemented in the future, one of the more immediate impacts of FDA jurisdiction over the cigar industry will be at the import level. Cigar imports are now subject to FDA review. As a result, brokers will need […]
Today, the J.C. Newman Cigar Company, America’s oldest family-owned cigar maker, introduced its long-awaited boutique cigar division, the J.C. Newman Fourth Generation Cigar Company, with the division’s first three cigar brands: The American, Admiration, and The 1954. The first cigars began shipping to select retailers last week. Created in New York City by the great-grandson of the founder, Drew Newman, and Drew’s wife Ariel Peters, the J.C. Newman Fourth Generation Cigar Company seeks to honor […]
Yesterday word began to spread that several cigar companies were having a hard time getting product into the USA. Rumor spread that the FDA was prohibiting product into the USA at their point of entry. However, those rumors were only partially true. According to several customs brokers, many cigar companies were caught off guard when they were informed that there was an entry submission process that must be followed. The lack of knowledge highlights the […]
Rafael Nodal of Boutique Blends has issued a statement on FDA Compliance, Now that our industry is officially under the FDA regulations, we wanted to write to update you on the work we are doing to comply with the regulations. We know that as a retailer, when you order products from a company, you may wonder if you should support their brands because you don’t know if the company will be here next year. (A […]