TOBACCO INDUSTRY WARNS GEOBLOCKING RULES MAY INCREASE GREY MARKET SALES

A European Commission proposal for a European Union (EU) ‘geoblocking’ regulation designed to prevent tobacco companies from refusing to sell to consumers in a foreign EU member state, if a distributor is prepared to export the product, could cause more illegal transactions, tobacco industry experts have warned. “I think the geoblocking rules will lead to more grey market sales,” the International Tobacco Growers’ Association (ITGA)’s CEO Antonio Abrunhosa told Tobacco Journal International. “The relaxing of delivery rules is good in general. ...


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