British American Tobacco’s Korean subsidiary has delayed the release of its synthetic nicotine vapes until the fourth quarter due to production readiness issues, which could intensify competition in the Korean market, where there are no legal restrictions on the product.
British American Tobacco has delayed the launch of synthetic nicotine vapes
As reported by N.News on August 27, British American Tobacco (BAT) has decided to delay its synthetic nicotine vape until the fourth quarter.
Despite the delay in the release date compared to the initial plan, the company still plans to launch the product in the fourth quarter.
According to BAT’s Korean subsidiary, Lefmon, BAT planned to launch its synthetic nicotine vapes in the third quarter, but the release plan has been delayed due to production readiness and other issues.
Still, the company said that even with the delay, the product will be available in the fourth quarter.
A representative of the company said.
- “There has been no change in BAT’s plans to launch synthetic nicotine vapes in the domestic market. While the delay in the release date is due to production preparations or other reasons, this product will be launched in the fourth quarter.”
In May (2024) this year, BAT announced that it would be launching a new synthetic nicotine vape product in South Korea and revealed that it would be offering tax-saving benefits to its customers.
Last July (2023), the company launched “Vuse” in the Korean market, which contains natural smoke tar oil but is at a competitive disadvantage compared to synthetic nicotine vapes, which are not subject to tobacco tax.
Currently, Korea’s Tobacco Business Act only defines products made from tobacco leaves as raw materials as tobacco products, leaving synthetic nicotine vapes legally unrestricted.
It is expected to be available in the fourth quarter
Synthetic nicotine vapes are inexpensive, cannot be penalized by law enforcement in no-smoking areas, and can even be sold near schools, which lacks relevant legal restrictions. In addition, these products can be sold freely on the Internet with unrestricted advertising and promotion, which can easily influence teenagers. Although the Korean government is studying synthetic nicotine vapes and has proposed a relevant control bill in the National Assembly, progress has been slow.
That’s why BAT announced that it will officially launch synthetic nicotine vapes, which will further intensify competition in the market.
An industry insider noted:
- “For BAT, which is entering the vape market, synthetic nicotine vapes without any regulation undoubtedly have a relative advantage. Therefore, this trend will continue unless the government and Congress refine the relevant laws and regulations.”
