Tobacco Asia

40 tobaccoasia MANUFACTURING NEWS 制造新闻 JTI Expands Global Manufacturing Footprint Japan Tobacco International (JTI) is advancing major manu‑ facturing investments in both Europe and North Africa as part of its broader strategy to modernize production and strengthen regional supply hubs. In Romania, JTI will build a new state‑of‑the‑art factory in Ștefăneștii de Jos, Ilfov County. The facility will replace the company's existing Bucharest plant, which operates under space constraints, and is scheduled for completion in 2027. "As a global company, we continuously seek opportuni‑ ties to optimize our manufacturing footprint and drive sustainable growth," said Philip Livingston, JTI senior vice president, global supply chain. JTI's Romanian factory plays a central role in the company's European operations, exporting about 75% of its output to more than 70 countries. Klaus‑Walter Thul, factory lead at JTI Romania, said the company has consistently expanded and upgraded its local operations since entering the market in 1994. "We're committed to continuously upgrading our production capacity, investing in state‑of‑the‑art equip‑ ment, and delivering high‑quality products," he said. JTI has invested heavily in Romania over the past decade. In 2012, it spent €25 million to boost capacity and create more than 125 jobs. In 2021, the company launched a €60 million upgrade program implemented over 3 years. Today, more than 630 people work at the Bucharest factory, out of over 1,500 JTI employees nationwide. At the same time, JTI planned to begin operations by the end of 2025 at a new MAD931.2 million (US$94 million) manufacturing facility in Tetouan Park, part of Morocco's Tanger Med industrial zone. The 4.7‑hectare site includes 18,000 square meters of built‑up space and will create more than 170 direct jobs, with women expected to fill about 30% of the roles. The Moroccan plant introduces JTI's Green Factory concept and targets carbon neutrality by 2030. Solar power will supply about 40% of its energy needs, while smart systems will manage heating, cooling, and LED lighting. The facility will also use rainwater collection and recycling for non‑potable water. Once operational, the factory will fully supply the Moroccan market and serve as a regional export base for West Africa. Initial capacity will reach 4 billion units per year, with potential to scale to 10 billion units without structural changes. Reynolds Expands Velo Production Jobs Reynolds American plans to create 200 new jobs in 2026 at its Tobaccoville, NC, operations to support production of its Velo Plus nicotine patches, reports the Triad Business Journal. The hiring initiative follows roughly US$200 million in recent investments in the company's smokeless manufacturing facilities. Reynolds said the new positions will include skilled operators and technicians. The Tobaccoville site, which spans about two million square feet, stands as the largest BAT Group facility worldwide and supports multi‑category manufacturing. Reynolds produc‑ es cigarettes and oral tobacco products at the site, but the company said nicotine pouches represent its fastest‑growing segment in the US. In 2024, the category accounted for 18.9% of Reynolds American's US$14.4 billion in net revenue. British American Tobacco, the parent group, reported that its US subsidiary added 800 jobs over the past two years. The company also plans to expand operations in Clarksville, TN, although it has not disclosed details. In September 2023, BAT announced an expansion of its American Snuff subsidiary in Clarksville. A Reynolds American representative told Triad Business Journal that the company employs more than 2,000 people in North Carolina's Triad region, with most based at the Tobac‑ coville plant. In a recent annual report, BAT Group reported 4,192 employees in the US, primarily in North Carolina, up from 3,763 a year earlier and 4,152 at the end of 2022. The group reported a global workforce of 48,989. India Targets Tobacco Machinery Taxes India plans to introduce a new health and national security tax on machinery used to manufacture certain tobacco‑related products and to revise the existing compensation levy under the goods and services tax (GST) framework, Bloomberg reported. Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Health Security to National Security Cess Bill during Parliament's winter session. Under the proposal, the government will impose a tax on machines installed to produce pan masala. Sitharaman said the levy will link to a machine's production capacity rather than the actual volume of goods produced. The approach shifts taxation toward installed capacity instead of output. India's finance ministry did not immediately respond to a Bloomberg request for comment. Sitharaman also tabled a separate bill to amend the Central Excise Act and adjust the compensation tax applied to tobacco products under the unified indirect tax system. The revised duties will replace the current tax used to compensate states for revenue losses tied to the rollout of GST in 2017. Pictured at the Eastman-ARD tobacco networking dinner held in Dubai late 2025: (L to R) Denis Maier – head of sales tobacco of Max Schlatterer (ESBAND); Mehul Jagetiya – manager finance of ITC; Sajal Kumar – manager procurement of ITC; Thomas Beckh – managing director of Max Schlatterer (ESBAND); Arun K. Hitkari – chairman & managing director of Hitkari Multifilters; Charles Boegli – managing director of Boegli-Gravures S.A; Cathy Boegli of Boegli-Gravures S.A; Arjun A. Hitkari – deputy managing director of Hitkari Multifilters.

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