Exhibitor Update|German Customs in Plainclothes Raid E-cigarette Booths, Untaxed Products Seized

Sep.19.2025
Exhibitor Update|German Customs in Plainclothes Raid E-cigarette Booths, Untaxed Products Seized
German customs officers in plainclothes raided InterTabac 2025 in Dortmund, seizing and fining untaxed e-cigarettes on the spot, with multiple booths already inspected.

2Firsts, Dortmund, Germany, September 19, 2025 —2Firsts learned on site that at InterTabac 2025 in Dortmund, German customs officers in plainclothes conducted spot checks on e-cigarette booths. Any products found without tax stamps will be subject to immediate confiscation, and the exhibitors face strict fines.

 

According to industry sources, German customs have routinely carried out such enforcement actions during trade fairs in recent years, with similar inspections reported last year. Several booths have already been checked this time.

 

2Firsts will continue to follow the development of this incident.

 

For more on-the-ground coverage, visit the 2Firsts InterTabac Special Section。

 


Exhibitor Update|German Customs in Plainclothes Raid E-cigarette Booths, Untaxed Products Seized

 

 

 

 

We welcome news tips, article submissions, interview requests, or comments on this piece.

Please contact us at info@2firsts.com, or reach out to Alan Zhao, CEO of 2Firsts, on LinkedIn


Notice

1.  This article is intended solely for professional research purposes related to industry, technology, and policy. Any references to brands or products are made purely for objective description and do not constitute any form of endorsement, recommendation, or promotion by 2Firsts.

2.  The use of nicotine-containing products — including, but not limited to, cigarettes, e-cigarettes, nicotine pouchand heated tobacco products — carries significant health risks. Users are responsible for complying with all applicable laws and regulations in their respective jurisdictions.

3.  This article is not intended to serve as the basis for any investment decisions or financial advice. 2Firsts assumes no direct or indirect liability for any inaccuracies or errors in the content.

4.  Access to this article is strictly prohibited for individuals below the legal age in their jurisdiction.

 

Copyright

 

This article is either an original work created by 2Firsts or a reproduction from third-party sources with proper attribution. All copyrights and usage rights belong to 2Firsts or the original content provider. Unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or any other form of unauthorized use by any individual or organization is strictly prohibited. Violators will be held legally accountable.

For copyright-related inquiries, please contact: info@2firsts.com

 

AI Assistance Disclaimer

 

This article may have been enhanced using AI tools to improve translation and editorial efficiency. However, due to technical limitations, inaccuracies may occur. Readers are encouraged to refer to the cited sources for the most accurate information.

We welcome any corrections or feedback. Please contact us at: info@2firsts.com

Kumulus Vape2026 H1 Revenue Falls 8.3% but Profit Rises 24% as B2B Weakens and Consumer Channels Grow
Kumulus Vape2026 H1 Revenue Falls 8.3% but Profit Rises 24% as B2B Weakens and Consumer Channels Grow
French vaping company Kumulus Vape reported first-half 2026 revenue of €25.5 million, down 8.3% year over year, as its core B2B distribution business fell 11% to €21.6 million. B2C and store-network revenue rose 5.6% and 17.8%, respectively. Commercial margin increased to 26.3% from 21.7%, while net profit rose 24.1% to €0.8 million. The company attributed the profitability improvement to catalog optimization, logistics restructuring and the ramp-up of Labster, its in-house production unit for proprietary brands.
Market
Sep.17 by 2Firsts Perspectives
Australia Extends Illicit Tobacco Crackdown From Tougher Penalties to Customs and Logistics Supply Chains
Australia Extends Illicit Tobacco Crackdown From Tougher Penalties to Customs and Logistics Supply Chains
Australia's federal government introduced a new illicit tobacco enforcement bill on September 10 that would strengthen evidentiary presumptions, representative sampling, seizure and forfeiture procedures, proceeds-of-crime powers and obligations for customs and logistics operators. The proposal follows the Combatting Illicit Tobacco Act 2026, which took effect in August and increased penalties while expanding investigative and asset-recovery tools. Together, the reforms extend Australia's crackdown from tougher criminal sanctions into import, logistics and evidentiary enforcement.
Sep.14
Hawaii's Largest Independent Vape Retailer and Wholesaler Volcano to Close All 13 Stores Ahead of 2027 Sales Rules
Hawaii's Largest Independent Vape Retailer and Wholesaler Volcano to Close All 13 Stores Ahead of 2027 Sales Rules
Hawaii-based vaping company Volcano eCigs plans to close all 13 physical retail stores on December 31, 2026, affecting approximately 56 employees. Volcano operates retail, wholesale, proprietary product and online sales businesses and has previously described itself in legislative testimony as Hawaii's largest independent vape retailer and wholesaler. Its operating company, Jocor Enterprises LLC, filed a formal closure notice on November 4, citing changes in the state's regulatory environment. From January 1, 2027, Hawaii will restrict the sale, acquisition and possession of vaping devices and e-liquids not listed in a state product directory, alongside separate restrictions on certain disposable devices. The closure concerns Volcano's physical retail network; the company has not announced the termination of wholesale or online operations.
Market
Nov.09
Global Nicotine-Pouch E-Commerce Group Haypp Shuts Sweden’s Snusnetto Over Age Verification as Identity Checks Become Industry Infrastructure for New Nicotine Products
Global Nicotine-Pouch E-Commerce Group Haypp Shuts Sweden’s Snusnetto Over Age Verification as Identity Checks Become Industry Infrastructure for New Nicotine Products
Sweden's Supreme Administrative Court has declined to hear an appeal over age verification for tobacco and nicotine products collected from parcel lockers, leaving in place a lower-court ruling that geo-located BankID verification is insufficient to securely verify the actual recipient. Haypp Group has stopped tobacco and nicotine sales through Snusnetto and is deploying a new system across its other Swedish e-commerce sites to verify the age of the person who actually opens the locker and receives the shipment. The change comes as age verification across next-generation nicotine products expands from purchase checks into retail, delivery and, for some e-cigarettes, device access itself.
Regulations
Oct.20
German Bundestag Passes Tobacco Tax Hikes: Vape Liquid Duty to Reach €0.44/ml, Heated Tobacco Taxes to Rise and Cigarettes Seen Near €12 a Pack
German Bundestag Passes Tobacco Tax Hikes: Vape Liquid Duty to Reach €0.44/ml, Heated Tobacco Taxes to Rise and Cigarettes Seen Near €12 a Pack
Germany's Bundestag passed amendments to the Tobacco Tax Act on October 15, 2026, setting out annual excise tax increases from 2027 through 2030 for e-cigarette liquids, heated tobacco, cigarettes and other tobacco products. Under the Finance Committee's amended bill, duty on qualifying e-liquids will rise from €0.32/ml in 2026 to €0.44/ml in 2030, an increase of 37.5%. Heated tobacco will retain its tax calculation based on 80% of the corresponding cigarette excise duty. The average price of a 20-cigarette pack is projected to approach €12 by 2030, with some brands potentially reaching €14. The legislation is projected to generate approximately €11.8 billion in additional tax revenue over four years and remains subject to further legislative procedures.
Regulations
Oct.19
Special Report|Japan Tobacco Buys CLEW: Can Its 160,000-Store Cigarette Network Help It Vie for U.S. Nicotine Pouch Share Against PMI and BAT?
Special Report|Japan Tobacco Buys CLEW: Can Its 160,000-Store Cigarette Network Help It Vie for U.S. Nicotine Pouch Share Against PMI and BAT?
Japan Tobacco Inc. (JT) announced on November 12, 2026, that it had acquired the U.S. assets of nicotine pouch brand CLEW from Nevcore Innovations Inc., including trademarks, intellectual property, product formulations and a Premarket Tobacco Product Application (PMTA). CLEW, currently distributed through selected outlets in 13 U.S. states, will immediately join the JTI LIGGETT portfolio. The transaction follows JT's approximately $2.4 billion acquisition of U.S. cigarette maker Vector Group in 2024. JTI LIGGETT says its existing cigarette brands reach more than 160,000 U.S. retail stores. During the 2026 NACS Show in October, JTI LIGGETT booth staff told 2Firsts that the company had not yet launched nicotine pouches in the United States. Although Nevcore previously announced FDA acceptance of CLEW's PMTA, the brand is absent from the agency's current list of authorized nicotine pouch products. JT has not disclosed a retail expansion plan for CLEW.
Business
Nov.12