UK
Retailers and wholesalers have written to the UK government raising concerns about ongoing issues with the introduction of tobacco track and trace regulations.
The track and trace regulations introduced on May 20 put in place a new method of tracking the sale of legitimate tobacco products through the supply chain. The regulations require retailers and wholesalers to scan the movement and record the sale of cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco through the supply chain up until the first retail outlet.
In a joint letter to the Exchequer Secretary, ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) and FWD (Federation of Wholesale Distributors) have raised concerns about the timeframes for retailers and wholesalers to comply with the tobacco track and trace regulations and have called for additional clarity and support over the way that new tobacco products are accounted for in the supply chain.
EU and UK law states that manufacturers of tobacco products must provide retailers and wholesalers with the equipment necessary to comply with the regulations, but due to the complexity of the convenience and wholesale sectors, bespoke solutions are required which have not been provided.
Retailers and wholesalers are now facing significant costs in order to ensure that they are compliant with track and trace.ACS and FWD have called for set processes for retailers and wholesalers who are not yet compliant to contact HMRC so that they can resolve their issues and gain reassurance that they will not fall foul of the regulations.