PMI seems to be increasing its efforts in Asia for its heated tobacco products. Photo credit: Aphis Marta, Creative Commons.
Philip Morris International (PMI) seems to be increasingly focusing on Asia for its heated tobacco products (HTP) with the global launch of its new HTP in the Philippines and the start of full-scale production of an exclusive tobacco stick for another of its HTP devices in Korea.
PMI announced the global launch of BONDS by IQOS and its specially-designed BLENDS tobacco sticks in the Philippines on November 22. Similar to the IQOS, BONDS heats tobacco instead of burning it and features a resistive external heating with no blade via the Roundheat Tobacco SystemTM. PMI claims that BONDS emits on average 95% lower levels of harmful chemicals compared to cigarettes. BONDS devices are designed to be used exclusively with BLENDS sticks, which, at the time of launch, are available in four different flavors, including classic and menthol. BONDS delivers up to 20 uses when fully-charged, including three consecutive experiences.
BONDS is offered at an affordable price, PHP990 (US$17.45) per device while BLENDS sticks are priced at PHP100 (US$1.76) per pack.
PMI also launched the IQOS ILUMA, which requires no cleaning process, in Korea this November, the seventh country and third major market following Japan and Spain to roll out the new product. About two weeks later, Philip Morris Korea (PMK) started the full-scale production of Terea, the heat sticks to be used exclusively for ILUMA devices, at its plant in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang province. All of the Terea products produced by the Yangsan facility supplies not just Korea but also overseas. Ten different Terea tobacco stick varieties are available, including two from the standard product line, four from the fresh line, and four more from the special line.