Item 1A. Risk Factors.
The following risk factors should be read carefully in connection with evaluating our business and the forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Any of the following risks could materially adversely affect our business, our operating results, our financial condition and the actual outcome of matters as to which forward-looking statements are made in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements
We may from time to time make written or oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and other filings with the SEC, in reports to stockholders and in press releases and investor webcasts. You can identify these forward-looking statements by use of words such as "strategy," "expects," "continues," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "will," "aspires," "estimates," "intends," "projects," "aims," "goals," "targets," "forecasts" and other words of similar meaning. You can also identify them by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts.
We cannot guarantee that any forward-looking statement will be realized, although we believe we have been prudent in our plans and assumptions. Our RRPs constitute a new product category that is less predictable than our mature cigarette business. Achievement of future results is subject to risks, uncertainties and inaccurate assumptions. Should known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove inaccurate, actual results could vary materially from those anticipated, estimated or projected. Investors should bear this in mind as they consider forward-looking statements and whether to invest in or remain invested in our securities. In connection with the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, we are identifying important factors that, individually or in the aggregate, could cause actual results and outcomes to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements made by us; any such statement is qualified by reference to the following cautionary statements. We elaborate on these and other risks we face throughout this document, particularly in Item 7, Business Environment. You should understand that it is not possible to predict or identify all risk factors. Consequently, you should not consider the following to be a complete discussion of all potential risks or uncertainties. We do not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that we may make from time to time, except in the normal course of our public disclosure obligations.
Overall Business Risks
We may be unsuccessful in our attempts to introduce reduced-risk products, and regulators may not permit the commercialization of these products or the communication of scientifically substantiated information and claims.
Our key strategic priorities are to: (i) develop and commercialize products that present less risk of harm to adult smokers who switch to those products versus continued smoking; and (ii) encourage and educate current adult smokers who would otherwise continue to smoke to switch to those RRPs. For our efforts to be successful, we must:
• develop RRPs that adult smokers find acceptable alternatives to smoking;
We might not succeed in our efforts. If we do not succeed, but others do, or if heat-not-burn products are inequitably regulated compared to other RRP categories without regard to the totality of the scientific evidence available for such products, we may be at a competitive disadvantage. In addition, actions of some market entrants, such as the inappropriate marketing of e-vapor products to youth, as well as alleged health consequences associated with the use of certain e-vapor products, may unfavorably impact public opinion and/or mischaracterize all e-vapor products or other RRPs to consumers, regulators and policy makers without regard to the totality of scientific evidence available for specific products. This may impede our efforts to advocate for the development of science-based regulatory frameworks for the development and commercialization of RRPs. We cannot predict whether regulators will permit the sale and/or marketing of RRPs with scientifically substantiated information and claims. Such restrictions could limit the success of our RRPs.
The WHO study group on tobacco product regulation published their eighth report on the scientific basis of tobacco product regulation in May 2021. The report is based on a review of scientific evidence related to novel and emerging nicotine and tobacco products, such
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as electronic nicotine delivery systems ("ENDS"), electronic non-nicotine delivery systems and heated tobacco products ("HTPs") on a number of scientific topics. The report concludes by making a number of policy recommendations on HTPs and ENDS that, if implemented, could restrict both the availability of these products, and the access to accurate information about them. In August 2021, the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (the "FCTC") Secretariat published two reports on novel and emerging tobacco products to the ninth session of the Conference of the Parties ("CoP") of the FCTC, which are not materially different from the WHO study group report. Substantive decisions based on these reports were deferred to CoP 10, currently scheduled to take place in the fourth quarter of 2023. It is not possible to predict whether or to what extent measures recommended by the WHO's reports will be implemented as the reports are not binding to the WHO Member States.
Additionally, any claims, regardless of merit, challenging our research and clinical data available to date, may impact the development of science-based regulatory frameworks for the commercialization of the RRP category and the commercialization of the RRP category in general.
Our RRPs and commercial activities for these products are designed for, and directed toward, current adult smokers and users of nicotine-containing products, and not for non-smokers or youth. We put significant effort to restrict access of our products from non-smokers or youth. Nevertheless, technological, operational, regulatory and/or commercial setbacks might impact the implementation or effectiveness of youth access prevention mechanisms and surrounding infrastructure. If nonetheless there is a significant usage of our products or competitive products among youth or non-smokers, even in situations over which we have no control, our reputation and credibility may suffer, the regulatory approach to our products may become more restrictive, and our efforts to advocate for the development of science-based regulatory frameworks for the development and commercialization of RRPs may be significantly impacted.
Moreover, the FDA’s premarket tobacco product and modified risk tobacco product authorizations of two versions of our Platform 1 product are subject to strict marketing, reporting and other requirements. Although we have received these authorizations from the FDA, there is no guarantee that the product will remain authorized for sale in the U.S., or whether new versions of the products (Platform 1 or other smoke-free platforms) will receive necessary authorizations, particularly if there is a significant uptake in youth or non-smoker initiation.
The financial and business performance of our reduced-risk products is less predictable than our cigarette business.
Our RRPs are novel products in a new category, and the pace at which adult smokers adopt them may vary, depending on the competitive, regulatory, fiscal and cultural environment, and other factors in a specific market. There may be periods of accelerated growth and periods of slower growth for these products, the timing and drivers of which may be more difficult for us to predict versus our mature cigarette business. The impact of this lower predictability on our projected results for a specific period may be significant, particularly during the early stages of this new product category, during the COVID-19 pandemic as a result of unpredictability due to shortage of key components in our supply chain, or due to geopolitical or macroeconomic events that negatively impact RRP availability or adoption, which in turn may have a material adverse effect on our results of operation.
We may be unsuccessful in our efforts to differentiate reduced-risk products and cigarettes with respect to taxation.
To date, we have been largely successful in demonstrating to regulators that our RRPs are not cigarettes due to the absence of combustion, and as such they are generally taxed either as a separate category or as other tobacco products, which typically yields more favorable tax rates than cigarettes. Nevertheless, we are unable to predict whether regulators will be issuing new regulations where RRP will be equally taxed in line with other tobacco products such as ordinary cigarettes. However, if we cease to be successful in these efforts, RRP unit margins may be materially adversely affected, which in turn may have a material adverse effect on our results of operation.
Consumption of tax-paid cigarettes continues to decline in many of our markets.
This decline is due to multiple factors, including increased taxes and pricing, governmental actions, the diminishing social acceptance of smoking and health concerns, competition, continuing economic and geopolitical uncertainty, and the continuing prevalence of illicit products. These factors and their potential consequences are discussed more fully below and in Item 7, Business Environment. A continuous decline in the consumption of cigarettes could have a material adverse effect on our revenue and profitability, which in turn may have a material adverse effect on our ability to fund our smoke-free transformation.
Cigarettes are subject to substantial taxes. Significant increases in cigarette-related taxes have been proposed or enacted and are likely to continue to be proposed or enacted in numerous jurisdictions. These tax increases may disproportionately affect our profitability and make us less competitive versus certain of our competitors.
Tax regimes, including excise taxes, sales taxes and import duties, can disproportionately affect the retail price of cigarettes versus other combustible tobacco products, or disproportionately affect the relative retail price of our cigarette brands versus cigarette brands manufactured by certain of our competitors. Because our portfolio is weighted toward the premium-price cigarette category, tax
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regimes based on sales price can place us at a competitive disadvantage in certain markets. Furthermore, our volume and profitability may be adversely affected in these markets.
In addition, increases in cigarette taxes are expected to continue to have an adverse impact on our sales of cigarettes, due to resulting lower consumption levels, a shift in sales from manufactured cigarettes to other combustible tobacco products and from the premium-price to the mid-price or low-price cigarette categories, where we may be under-represented, from local sales to legal cross-border purchases of lower price products, or to illicit products such as contraband, counterfeit and "illicit whites."
Each of these risks could have a material adverse effect on our business, operations, results of operations, revenues, cash flow and profitability.
Our business faces significant governmental action aimed at increasing regulatory requirements with the goal of reducing or preventing the use of tobacco products.
Governmental actions, combined with the diminishing social acceptance of smoking and private actions to restrict smoking, have resulted in reduced industry volumes for our products in many of our markets, and we expect that such factors will continue to reduce consumption levels and will increase down-trading and the risk of counterfeiting, contraband, "illicit whites" and legal cross-border purchases. Significant regulatory developments will continue to take place over the next few years in most of our markets, driven principally by the FCTC. Since it came into force in 2005, the FCTC has led to increased efforts by tobacco control advocates and public health organizations to promote increasingly restrictive regulatory measures on the marketing and sale of tobacco products to adult smokers. Regulatory initiatives that have been proposed, introduced or enacted by governmental authorities in various jurisdictions include:
• restrictions on or licensing of outlets permitted to sell cigarettes;
• the levying of substantial and increasing tax and duty charges;
• restrictions or bans on advertising, marketing and sponsorship;
• restrictions on packaging and cigarette formats and dimensions;
• elimination of duty free sales and duty free allowances for travelers;
• encouraging litigation against tobacco companies; and
Our financial results could be materially affected by regulatory initiatives resulting in a significant decrease in demand for our brands. More specifically, requirements that lead to a commoditization of tobacco products or impede adult consumers' ability to convert to our RRPs, as well as any significant increase in the cost of complying with new regulatory requirements could have a material adverse effect on our financial results.
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Changes in the earnings mix and changes in tax laws may result in significant variability in our effective tax rates. Our ability to receive payments from foreign subsidiaries or to repatriate royalties and dividends could be restricted by local country currency exchange controls and other regulations.
We are subject to income tax laws in the United States and numerous foreign jurisdictions. Changes in the U.S. tax system, including significant increases in the U.S. corporate income tax rate and the minimum tax rate on certain earnings of foreign subsidiaries could be enacted. Such changes could have a material adverse impact on our effective tax rate thereby reducing our net earnings. Further changes in the tax laws of foreign jurisdictions could arise as a result of the base erosion and profit shifting project undertaken by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, which recommended changes to numerous long-standing tax principles. If implemented, such changes, as well as changes in taxing jurisdictions’ administrative interpretations, decisions, policies, or positions, could also have a material adverse impact on our effective tax rate thereby reducing our net earnings. In future periods, our ability to recover deferred tax assets could be subject to additional uncertainty as a result of such developments. Furthermore, changes in the earnings mix or applicable foreign tax laws may result in significant variability in our effective tax rates.
As a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, certain taxing jurisdictions, including the U.S., have proposed punitive tax legislation applicable to companies doing business in Russia, which could also have a material adverse impact on our effective tax rate if enacted thereby reducing our net earnings.
Because we are a U.S. holding company, our most significant source of funds is distributions from our non-U.S. subsidiaries. Certain countries in which we operate have adopted or could institute currency exchange controls and other regulations that limit or prohibit our local subsidiaries' ability to convert local currency into U.S. dollars or to make payments outside the country. This could subject us to the risks of local currency devaluation and business disruption.
Risks Related to the Impact of the War in Ukraine on our Business
Our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial position may be adversely impacted by the continuation and consequences of the war in Ukraine.
In 2022, Russia accounted for around 9% of our total cigarette and heated tobacco unit shipment volume, and around 7% of our total net revenues. Ukraine accounted for around 2% of our total cigarette and heated tobacco unit shipment volume, and around 1% of our total net revenues. Historically, we also produced finished goods in Ukraine for export and manufactured products in Russia. In 2022, as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we suspended planned investments and scaled down our manufacturing operations in Russia. In Ukraine, we have temporarily reduced operations, including closing our factory in the country.
The short and long-term implications of the Russian invasion of Ukraine for our operations in those countries are impossible to predict at this time. The likelihood of retaliatory action by the Russian government against companies, including us, as a result of actions and statements made in response to the Russian invasion, including the possibility of legal action against us or our employees or nationalization of foreign businesses or assets, including cash reserves held in Russia and intangible assets such as trademarks, is impossible to predict. We are continuously assessing the evolving situation in Russia, including: recent regulatory constraints in the market that entail very complex terms and conditions that must be met for any divestment transaction to be granted approval by the authorities; and restrictions resulting from international regulations. In Ukraine, there is no way to know when and to what extent we will be able to fully normalize our operations or to what extent our workforce, facilities, inventory, and other assets will remain intact. These developments have and will continue to have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial position, and may result in impairment charges.
The conflict also continues to elevate the likelihood of supply chain disruptions, both in the region and globally, and may inhibit our ability to timely source materials and services needed to make and sell our products. For example, historically we sourced certain finished goods, production materials and components from both Russia and Ukraine, including printed materials and filters, and the invasion has, and may continue to, disrupt the availability of and impact our supply chain for these materials. These disruptions, to the extent we are unable to find alternative sources or otherwise address these supply constraints, may impact the availability and cost of our products in other markets, which would adversely impact our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial position, and may result in impairment charges. Furthermore, the imposition of various restrictions on transactions with parties from certain jurisdictions, the ban on exports of various products, and other economic and financial restrictions may adversely affect certain third parties with which we do business in Russia, such as customers, suppliers, intermediaries, service providers and banks.
The broader consequences of the invasion are also impossible to predict, but could include reputational consequences, further sanctions, financial or currency restrictions, punitive tax law changes, embargoes, regional instability, and geopolitical shifts as well as adverse effects on macroeconomic conditions, security conditions, currency exchange rates, and financial markets. Given the nature of our business and global operations, such geo-political instability and uncertainty could increase the costs of our materials and operations; reduce demand for our products; have a negative impact on our supply chains, manufacturing capabilities, or distribution capabilities; increase our exposure to currency fluctuations; constrain our liquidity or our ability to access capital markets; create staffing or operations difficulties; or subject us to increased cyber-attacks. While we will continue to monitor this fluid situation and
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develop contingency plans as necessary to address any disruptions to our business operations as they develop, the extent of the conflict’s effect on our business and results of operations as well as the global economy, cannot be predicted.
The conflict may also have the effect of heightening many other risks disclosed in this Form 10-K, any of which could adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows or financial position. Such risks could affect, without limitation, the achievement of our strategic priorities, including achievement of our RRP growth targets; the availability of third-party manufacturing resources; the availability of attractive acquisition and strategic business opportunities and our ability to fully realize the benefits of these transactions; our ability to attract, motivate, and retain the best global talent; and our loss of revenue from counterfeiting and similar illicit activities.
Risks Related to Sourcing and Distribution of Products, Services and Materials
Use of third-parties may negatively impact the distribution, quality, and availability of our products and services, and we may be required to replace third-party contract distributors, manufacturers or service providers.
We increasingly rely on third-parties and their subcontractors/suppliers, sometimes concentrated in a specific geographic area, for product distribution and to manufacture some of our products and product parts (particularly, the electronic devices and accessories), as well as to provide services, including to support our finance, commercialization and information technology processes. While many of these arrangements improve efficiencies and decrease our operating costs, they also diminish our direct control. Such diminished control may lead to disruption in the distribution of our products and may have a material adverse effect on the quality and availability of products or services, our supply chain, and the speed and flexibility in our response to changing market conditions and adult consumer preferences, all of which may place us at a competitive disadvantage. In addition, we may be unable to renew these agreements on satisfactory terms for numerous reasons, including government regulations, and our costs may increase significantly if we must replace such third parties with other partners or our own resources.
The effects of climate change and legal or regulatory responses related to climate change may have a negative impact on our business and results of operations.
While we seek to mitigate our business risks associated with climate change by establishing environmental goals and standards and seeking business partners, including within our supply chain, that are committed to operating in ways that protect the environment or mitigate environmental impacts, we recognize that there are inherent climate-related risks wherever business is conducted. Among other potential impacts, climate change could influence the quality and volume of the agricultural products we rely on, including tobacco, due to a number of factors beyond our control, including more frequent variations in weather patterns, extreme weather events causing unexpected downtime and inventory losses, other adverse weather conditions, and governmental restrictions on trade, all of which may lead to disruption of operations at factories, warehouses and other premises.
Furthermore, risks related to natural ecosystems degradation, decreased agricultural productivity in certain regions of the world, biodiversity loss, water resource depletion and deforestation, which are partially driven or exacerbated by climate change, may disrupt our business operations or those of our suppliers and business partners.
There is an increased focus by foreign, federal, state and local regulatory and legislative bodies regarding environmental policies relating to climate change. New climate-related legal or regulatory requirements may lead to additional carbon taxation, energy price increases, new compliance costs, increased distribution and supply chain costs, and other expenses impacting our cost of operation. Even if we make changes to align ourselves with legal or regulatory requirements, we may still be subject to significant penalties if such laws or regulations are interpreted and applied in a manner inconsistent with our practices.
Government mandated prices, production control programs, and shifts in crops driven by economic conditions may increase the cost or reduce the quality of the tobacco and other agricultural products used to manufacture our products.
As with other agricultural commodities, the price of tobacco leaf and cloves can be influenced by imbalances in supply and demand and the impacts of natural disasters and pandemics such as COVID-19. Tobacco production in certain countries is subject to a variety of controls, including government mandated prices and production control programs. Changes in the patterns of demand for agricultural products could cause farmers to produce less tobacco or cloves. Any significant change in tobacco leaf and clove prices, quality and quantity could affect our profitability and our business.
Risks Related to our International Operations
Because we have operations in numerous countries, our results may be adversely impacted by economic, regulatory and political developments, natural disasters, pandemics or conflicts.
Some of the countries in which we operate face the threat of civil unrest and can be subject to regime changes. In others, nationalization, terrorism, conflict and the threats of war or acts of war may have a significant impact on the business environment. Natural disasters, extreme weather events, pandemics, economic, political, regulatory, acts of war or threats of war, or other
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developments could disrupt or increase the expenses related to our supply chain, manufacturing capabilities, distribution capabilities, or the energy and other utility services required to operate our factories, warehouses, and other premises. Our business continuity plans and other safeguards might not always be effective to fully mitigate their impact. In addition, such developments – including the impact on energy prices and availability in the EU and elsewhere resulting from the invasion of Ukraine by Russia – could increase costs of our materials and operations and lead to loss of property or equipment that are critical to our business in certain markets and difficulty in staffing and managing our operations, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our operations, volumes, revenue, net earnings and profitability. We discuss additional risks associated with Russia's invasion of Ukraine and climate change above and with the COVID-19 pandemic below.
In certain markets, we are dependent on governmental approvals of various actions such as price changes, and failure to obtain such approvals could impair growth of our profitability.
In addition, despite our high ethical standards and rigorous controls and compliance policies aimed at preventing and detecting unlawful conduct, given the breadth and scope of our international operations, we may not be able to detect all potential improper or unlawful conduct by our employees and partners. Such improper or unlawful conduct (actual or alleged) could lead to litigation and regulatory action, cause damage to our reputation and that of our brands, and result in substantial costs.
Our reported results could be adversely affected by unfavorable currency exchange rates, and currency fluctuations could impair our competitiveness.
We conduct our business primarily in local currency and, for purposes of financial reporting, the local currency results are translated into U.S. dollars based on average exchange rates prevailing during a reporting period. Foreign currencies may fluctuate significantly against the U.S. dollar reducing our net revenues, operating income and EPS. Our primary local currency cost bases may be different from our primary currency revenue markets, and U.S. dollar fluctuations against various currencies may have disproportionate negative impact on net revenues as compared to our gross profit and operating income margins.
A sustained period of elevated inflation across the markets in which we operate could result in higher operating and financing costs and lead to reduced demand for our products.
Increasing inflationary pressures may result in significant increases to our expenses, including direct materials, wages, energy, and transportation costs. While we take actions, wherever possible, to reduce the impact of the effects of inflation, in cases of sustained and elevated inflation across several of our major markets, it may be difficult to effectively control the increases to our costs. Increased inflation also has and may continue to lead to interest rate increases, thereby increasing our interest expense. Increasing inflationary pressures may also negatively impact consumer purchasing power, which could result in reduced demand for our products. If we are unable to increase our prices or take other actions to mitigate the effect of increasing inflationary pressures, our profitability and financial position could be negatively impacted.
Risks Related to Legal Challenges and Investigations
Litigation related to tobacco use and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke could substantially reduce our profitability and could severely impair our liquidity.
There is litigation related to tobacco products pending in certain jurisdictions in which we operate. Damages claimed in some tobacco-related litigation are significant and, in certain cases in Brazil, Canada, and Nigeria, range into the billions of U.S. dollars. We anticipate that new cases will continue to be filed. The FCTC encourages litigation against tobacco product manufacturers. It is possible that our consolidated results of operations, cash flows or financial position could be materially adversely affected in a particular fiscal quarter or fiscal year by an unfavorable outcome or settlement of certain pending litigation. We face various administrative and legal challenges related to certain RRP activities, including allegations concerning product classification, advertising restrictions, corporate communications, product coach activities, scientific substantiation, product liability, antitrust, and unfair competition. While we design our programs to comply with relevant regulations, we expect these or similar challenges to continue as we expand our efforts to commercialize RRPs and to communicate publicly. The outcomes of these matters may affect our RRP commercialization and public communication activities and performance in one or more markets. Also see Item 8, Note 18. Contingencies to our consolidated financial statements for a discussion of pending litigation.
From time to time, we are subject to governmental investigations on a range of matters.
Investigations include allegations of contraband shipments of cigarettes, allegations of unlawful pricing activities within certain markets, allegations of underpayment of income taxes, customs duties and/or excise taxes, allegations of false and misleading usage of descriptors, allegations of unlawful advertising, and allegations of unlawful labor practices. We cannot predict the outcome of those investigations or whether additional investigations may be commenced, and it is possible that our business could be materially adversely affected by an unfavorable outcome of pending or future investigations. See Item 8, Note 18. Contingencies—Other Litigation and "Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Operating Results
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by Business Segment—Business Environment—Governmental Investigations” for a description of certain governmental investigations to which we are subject.
We may be unable to adequately protect our intellectual property rights, and disputes relating to intellectual property rights could harm our business.
Our intellectual property rights are valuable assets, their protection is important to our business, and that protection may not be equally available in every country in which we operate or in which our products are sold. If the steps we take to protect our intellectual property rights globally, including through applying for, prosecuting, maintaining and enforcing, where relevant, a combination of trademark, design, copyright, patent, trade secrets and other intellectual property rights, are inadequate, or if others infringe or misappropriate our intellectual property rights, notwithstanding legal protection, our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be adversely impacted. Moreover, failing to manage our existing and/or future intellectual property may place us at a competitive disadvantage. Intellectual property rights of third parties may limit our ability to develop, manufacture and/or commercialize our products in one or more markets. Competitors or other third parties may claim that we infringe their intellectual property rights. Any such claims, regardless of merit, could divert management’s attention, be costly, disruptive, time-consuming and unpredictable and expose us to significant litigation costs and damages, and may impede our ability to develop, manufacture and/or commercialize new RRPs and improve our products, and thus have a material adverse effect on our revenue and our profitability. In addition, if, as a result, we are unable to manufacture or sell our RRPs or improve their quality in one or more markets, our ability to convert adult smokers to our RRPs in such markets would be adversely affected. See Item 8, Note 18. Contingencies—Other Litigation to our consolidated financial statements for a description of certain intellectual property proceedings.
Risks Related to our Competitive Environment
We face intense competition, and our failure to compete effectively could have a material adverse effect on our profitability and results of operations.
We are subject to highly competitive conditions in all aspects of our business. We compete primarily on the basis of product quality, brand recognition, brand loyalty, taste, R&D, innovation, packaging, customer service, marketing, advertising and retail price and, increasingly, adult smoker willingness to convert to our RRPs. The competitive environment and our competitive position can be significantly influenced by weak economic conditions, erosion of consumer confidence, competitors' introduction of lower-price products or innovative products, novel products which given their taste characteristics may be more commercially successful, higher tobacco product taxes, higher absolute prices and larger gaps between retail price categories, and product regulation that diminishes the ability to differentiate tobacco products and restricts adult consumer access to truthful and non-misleading information about our RRPs.
Competitors in our industry include British American Tobacco plc, Japan Tobacco Inc., Imperial Brands plc, new market entrants, particularly with respect to innovative products, several regional and local tobacco companies and, in some instances, state-owned tobacco enterprises, principally in Algeria, Egypt, China, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. Some competitors have different profit, volume and regulatory objectives, and some international competitors may be less susceptible to changes in currency exchange rates than we are. Certain new market entrants in the non-combustible product category may alienate consumers from innovative products through inappropriate marketing campaigns, messaging and inferior product satisfaction, while not relying on scientific substantiation based on appropriate R&D protocols and standards. The growing use of digital media could increase the speed and extent of the dissemination of inaccurate and misleading information about our RRPs, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our profitability and results of operations.
We may be unable to anticipate changes in adult consumer preferences.
Our business is subject to changes in adult consumer preferences, which may be influenced by local economic conditions, accessibility to our products and availability of accurate information related to our products.
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To be successful, we must:
• promote brand equity successfully;
• anticipate and respond to new adult consumer trends;
• ensure that our products meet our quality standards;
• develop new products and markets and broaden brand portfolios;
• improve productivity;
• educate and encourage adult smokers to convert to our RRPs;
• provide excellent customer care;
• ensure adequate production capacity to meet demand for our products; and
• be able to protect or enhance margins through price increases.
In periods of economic uncertainty, adult consumers may tend to purchase lower-price brands, and the volume of our premium-price and mid-price brands and our profitability could be materially adversely impacted as a result. Such down-trading trends may be reinforced by regulation that limits branding, communication and product differentiation.
Our ability to grow profitability may be limited by our inability to introduce new products, enter new markets or improve our margins through higher pricing and improvements in our brand and geographic mix.
Our profit growth may be materially adversely impacted if we are unable to introduce new products or enter new markets successfully, to raise prices or to improve the proportion of our sales of higher margin products and in higher margin geographies.
We may be unable to expand our brand portfolio through successful acquisitions or the development of strategic business relationships, and the intended benefits from our investments may not materialize.
One element of our growth strategy is to expand our brand portfolio and market positions through selective acquisitions and the development of strategic business relationships. Acquisition and strategic business development opportunities are limited and present risks of failing to achieve efficient and effective integration, strategic objectives and/or anticipated revenue improvements and cost savings. There is no assurance that we will be able to acquire attractive businesses or enter into strategic business relationships on favorable terms ahead of our competitors, or that such acquisitions or strategic business development relationships will be accretive to earnings or improve our competitive position. In addition, we may not have a controlling position in certain strategic investments or relationships, which could impact the extent to which the intended financial growth and other benefits from these investments or relationships may ultimately materialize.
Our ability to achieve our strategic goals may be impaired if we fail to attract, motivate and retain the best global talent and effectively align our organizational design with the goals of our transformation.
To be successful, we must continue transforming our culture and ways of working, align our talent and organizational design with our increasingly complex business needs, and innovate and transform to a consumer-centric business. We compete for talent, including in areas that are new to us, such as digital, information technology, life sciences, with companies in the consumer products, technology, pharmaceutical and other sectors that enjoy greater societal acceptance. As a result, we may be unable to attract, motivate and retain the best global talent with the right degree of diversity, experience and skills to achieve our strategic goals.
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Risks Related to the Impact of a Pandemic on our Business
Our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial position may be materially adversely impacted by an epidemic, endemic or pandemic, such as COVID-19.
The outbreak of the global COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 has created significant societal and economic disruption, and resulted in the closures of stores, factories and offices, and restrictions on manufacturing, distribution and travel, all of which have and may continue to adversely impact our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial position. Our business continuity plans and other safeguards may not be effective to mitigate the ongoing or potential impact of COVID-19 or other epidemics, endemics, or pandemics.
The production of our RRP portfolio requires various components and materials, and we believe that there is an adequate supply of such components and materials in the world markets to satisfy our current and anticipated production requirements. However, some components and materials necessary for the production of our RRPs, including those for the electronic devices, are obtained from single or limited sources, and can be subject to industry-wide shortages and price fluctuations. While we have been successful in maintaining adequate supply of such components and materials during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic so far, the COVID-19 pandemic, or another epidemic, endemic or pandemic, may disrupt that supply, whether through regulatory enforced actions taken to contain its spread, or through other supply chain disruptions caused by such epidemic, endemic or pandemic. This could negatively impact the commercialization of our RRPs.
Significant risks to our business during an epidemic, endemic or pandemic, such as the ongoing consequences of the COVID-19 outbreak, also include:
• our diminished ability to convert adult smokers to our RRPs;
• increased currency volatility; and
• delays in certain cost saving, transformation and restructuring initiatives.
The significant adverse effect of an epidemic, endemic or pandemic on the economic or political conditions in markets in which we operate could result in changes to the preferences of our adult consumers and lower demand for our products, particularly for our mid-price or premium-price brands.
Each of these risks could have a material adverse effect on our business, operations, results of operations, revenues, cash flow and profitability.
Risks Related to Illicit Trade
We lose revenues as a result of counterfeiting, contraband, cross-border purchases, "illicit whites," non-tax-paid volume produced by local manufacturers, and counterfeiting of our Platform 1 device and heated tobacco units.
Large quantities of counterfeit cigarettes are sold in the international market. We believe that Marlboro is the most heavily counterfeited international cigarette brand, although we cannot quantify the revenues we lose as a result of this activity. In addition, our revenues are reduced by contraband, legal cross-border purchases, "illicit whites" and non-tax-paid volume produced by local manufacturers. Our revenues and consumer satisfaction with our Platform 1 device and heated tobacco units may be materially adversely affected by counterfeit products that do not meet our product quality standards and scientific validation procedures.
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Risks Related to Cybersecurity and Data Governance
The failure or disruption of our information technology networks and systems, or those managed by third-party service providers or owned by our business partners and used in furtherance of PMI’s business, due to cybersecurity attacks; unauthorized attempts to corrupt or extract data; security vulnerabilities; misconfigurations; human error; or failure or inability by us, third-parties, or our business partners to adhere to cybersecurity industry best practices, could place us at a competitive disadvantage, cause reputational damage, impact our operations, result in data breaches, significant business disruption, litigation, regulatory action including significant fines or penalties, financial impact, loss of revenue or assets, including our intellectual property, personal, confidential, or sensitive data.
We and our business partners heavily rely on information technology networks and systems, including those connected to the Internet, to help manage business processes and operations, including the collection, storage, interpretation, and processing of confidential, sensitive, personal and other data; internal and external communications; marketing and e-commerce activities; the manufacture, sale, and distribution of our products; management of third-party business relationships; engagement with governmental authorities; innovation through research and development; and other activities necessary for business operations. Some of these information systems and networks are developed, supplied, or managed by third-party service providers that may make us vulnerable to “supply chain” style cyberattacks.
Cyberattacks, security incidents and vulnerabilities impacting PMI, newly acquired companies, our business partners, or our third-party providers, continue to dynamically evolve in sophistication and volume, making it difficult for us to predict probability, frequency, and impact severity of security incidents. Further, it may be inherently difficult to detect vulnerabilities during due diligence, for long periods of time, or soon enough to mitigate exploitation. There can be no assurance that such security incidents or vulnerabilities will not have a material adverse effect on us in the future.
We continue to make investments in administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to maintain information security protections in line with industry standards and best practices. We evaluate the adequacy of preventative actions to reduce security incidents on an ongoing basis.
Our safeguards may not, however, be effective in mitigating the impact of service disruptions or other failures of these information technology networks and systems. Failure to timely respond and mitigate security incidents, could result in wide-ranging business interruptions. Such security incidents could place us at a competitive disadvantage; result in financial impacts, a loss of revenue, assets, including our intellectual property, personal or other sensitive data; result in litigation and regulatory action including significant fines or penalties; impact our operations; cause damage to our reputation and that of our brands; and result in significant remediation and other costs.
Our or our business partners’ failure or inability to adhere to privacy, data, artificial intelligence and information security laws could result in business disruption, loss of reputation and consumer trust, litigation, regulatory action including significant fines or penalties, financial impact, and loss of revenue, assets or personal, confidential, or sensitive data.
An actual or alleged failure to comply with complex and changing privacy, data, artificial intelligence and information security laws and regulations under the EU General Data Protection Regulation, various United States state and federal laws, and other similar privacy and information security laws across the jurisdictions in which PMI operates, such as the failure to protect personal data; implement appropriate technological and reasonable security measures; respect the privacy rights of data subjects; provide sufficient detailed notices of personal data processing; retrieve consent and provide opt-outs; meet stringent timeframe requirements for incident reporting to regulatory authorities; comply with artificial intelligence regulations; and others, could have a material adverse effect on us, subject us to substantial fines and/or legal challenges, and/or harm our business, reputation, financial condition, or operating results. Such laws and regulations across the jurisdictions in which PMI operates may vary, resulting in inconsistent or conflicting legal obligations.
Risks Related to the Acquisitions of Swedish Match, OtiTopic, Inc. ("OtiTopic"), Fertin Pharma A/G ("Fertin Pharma") and Vectura Group Ltd. ("Vectura") (collectively, the "Acquisitions")
As previously disclosed in this Form 10-K, since 2021, we have acquired Swedish Match, OtiTopic, Fertin Pharma and Vectura, and have launched a new Wellness and Healthcare business consolidating OtiTopic, Fertin Pharma and Vectura: Vectura Fertin Pharma.
We may be unable to successfully integrate and realize the expected benefits from the Acquisitions.
The successful integration of the acquired businesses and their operations into those of our own and our ability to realize the benefits of the Acquisitions, are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are not in our control.The risks and uncertainties relating to integrating the businesses acquired include, among other things: (i) the challenge of integrating complex organizations, systems, operating procedures, industry specific compliance programs, technology, networks and other assets of the businesses that we acquire, and the costs related to such integration efforts; (ii) the possibility that we are unable to gain access to
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differentiated intellectual property, proprietary technology, and pharmaceutical development expertise as anticipated by these Acquisitions, and thus fail to realize our desired entry into additional smoke-free, wellness, therapeutic and healthcare platforms; (iii) the challenge of integrating the cultures and business practices of each of Swedish Match, Fertin Pharma and Vectura to our culture and business practices, which if not managed correctly, could lead to difficulties in retaining key management and other key employees; and (iv) the challenge of achieving a successful integration as a result of our affiliation to our combustible product portfolio. In addition, even if we are able to successfully integrate, the anticipated benefits of the Acquisitions may not be realized fully, or at all, or may take longer to realize than expected. Furthermore, the success of the Acquisitions also depends on Swedish Match's continued growth in highly competitive markets and on the success of the research and development efforts of Vectura Fertin Pharma, including the ability to obtain regulatory approval for new products, and the ability to commercialize or license these new products developed by them. Moreover, our combustible product portfolio may stand in the way of introducing and growing new product categories, and may prevent our business from developing a long-term sustainable ecosystem of products in the wellness, therapeutic, and healthcare categories.
The businesses that we acquire in the Acquisitions may have liabilities that are not known to us.
The businesses that we have acquired in the Acquisitions may have liabilities that we were unable to identify, or were unable to discover, in the course of performing our due diligence investigations during the Acquisitions thereof. We cannot assure you that the indemnification available to us under the respective acquisition agreements, will be sufficient in amount, scope or duration to fully offset the possible liabilities associated with the respective business or property that we will assume upon consummation of each acquisition. Furthermore, the acquisition of Swedish Match was structured as a direct purchase of shares from Swedish Match shareholders and therefore did not include an acquisition agreement or indemnification rights. Any such liabilities, individually or in the aggregate, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Accounting adjustments related to the Acquisitions could adversely affect our financial results.
We have accounted for the completion of the Acquisitions using the acquisition method of accounting. Differences between preliminary estimates and the final acquisition accounting may occur, and these differences could have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements and our future results of operations and financial position in combination with the businesses acquired.Furthermore, given the nature of the assets being acquired in the Acquisitions, we may not be able to avoid future impairments of those assets, which may also have a material impact on our future results of operation and financial position.
PMI, Swedish Match and Vectura Fertin Pharma may be subject to uncertainties that could adversely affect our respective businesses, and adversely affect the financial results of our combined businesses.
Our success following these Acquisitions will depend in part upon our ability and the ability of each of Swedish Match and Vectura Fertin Pharma to maintain business relationships. Uncertainty about the effect of the Acquisitions on customers, suppliers, employees and other constituencies of each of Swedish Match, Fertin Pharma and Vectura, may have a material adverse effect on us and/or the businesses that we have acquired through the Acquisitions. Customers, suppliers and others who do business with Swedish Match or Vectura Fertin Pharma may delay or defer business decisions, decide to terminate, modify or renegotiate their relationships, or take other actions as a result of the Acquisitions, which could negatively affect the revenues, earnings and cash flows of our company or the businesses that we have acquired. Regulatory changes may have an impact on the development and/or commercialization of products which originate from the Swedish Match or Vectura Fertin Pharma value chains, as well as our revenues, earnings and cash flow. If we are unable to maintain the business and operational relationships of Swedish Match, or of Vectura Fertin Pharma, our financial position, results of operations or cash flows upon combining with these companies could be adversely affected.
Item 1B.Unresolved Staff Comments.
None.
Item 2. Properties.
We own or lease various manufacturing, office and research and development facilities in locations around the world. We own properties in Switzerland where our operations center and state-of-the-art research and development facility are located.
At December 31, 2022, we operated and owned a total of 53 manufacturing facilities across our segments. Among them, 8 factories produced heated tobacco units. The Swedish Match acquisition expanded our manufacturing footprint with the addition of 14 owned manufacturing facilities, which are included in the total above. The manufacturing facilities acquired from Swedish Match are primarily engaged in the production of smoke-free products.
In 2022, certain facilities each manufactured over 30 billion units (cigarettes and heated tobacco units combined). The largest manufacturing facilities, in terms of volume, are located in Turkey (ME&A), Indonesia (S&SA), Poland (EU), Russia (EE), Italy (EU), the Philippines (S&SA), Lithuania (EU), Czech Republic (EU) and Portugal (EU). As part of our global operating model,
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products manufactured in a particular manufacturing facility are not necessarily distributed in the operating segment where the facility is located.
We have integrated the production of our heated tobacco units into a number of our existing manufacturing facilities, and we are progressing with our plans to build manufacturing capacity for our other RRP and smoke-free platforms. We will continue to optimize our manufacturing infrastructure.
We believe the properties owned or leased by our subsidiaries are maintained in good condition and are believed to be suitable and adequate for our present needs.
Item 3.Legal Proceedings.
The information called for by this Item is incorporated herein by reference to Item 8, Note 18. Contingencies.
Item 4.Mine Safety Disclosures.
Not applicable.
PART II
Item 5.Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.
The principal stock exchange on which our common stock (no par value) is listed is the New York Stock Exchange (ticker symbol "PM"). At January 31, 2023, there were approximately 43,700 holders of record of our common stock.
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Performance Graph
The graph below compares the cumulative total shareholder return on PMI's common stock with the cumulative total return for the same period of PMI's Peer Group and the S&P 500 Index. The graph assumes the investment of $100 as of December 31, 2017, in PMI common stock (at prices quoted on the New York Stock Exchange), and each of the indices as of the market close and reinvestment of dividends on a quarterly basis.
Date PMI PMI Peer Group (1) S&P 500 Index
(1) The PMI Peer Group presented in this graph is the same as that used in the prior year. The PMI Peer Group was established based on a review of four characteristics: global presence; a focus on consumer products; and net revenues and a market capitalization of a similar size to those of PMI. The review also considered the primary international tobacco companies. As a result of this review, the following companies constitute the PMI Peer Group: Altria Group, Inc., Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV, British American Tobacco p.l.c., The Coca-Cola Company, Colgate-Palmolive Co., Diageo plc, Heineken N.V., Imperial Brands PLC, Japan Tobacco Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, The Kraft-Heinz Company, McDonald's Corp., Mondelēz International, Inc., Nestlé S.A., PepsiCo, Inc., The Procter & Gamble Company, Roche Holding AG, and Unilever NV and PLC.
Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest $0.10.
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Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities During the Quarter Ended December 31, 2022
Our share repurchase activity for each of the three months in the quarter ended December 31, 2022, was as follows:
Pursuant to Publicly Announced Plans or Programs — $ —
(1)On June 11, 2021, our Board of Directors authorized a new share repurchase program of up to $7 billion, with target spending of $5 billion to $7 billion over a three-year period that commenced in July 2021. These share repurchases have been made pursuant to the $7 billion program. On May 11, 2022, we announced the suspension of our three-year share repurchase program following the recommended public offer to acquire the outstanding shares of Swedish Match from its shareholders. For further details on the offer, see the Acquisitions and Other Business Arrangements section of Part II, Item 7 of this Form 10-K.
(2)Shares repurchased represent shares tendered to us by employees who vested in restricted and performance share unit awards and used shares to pay all, or a portion of, the related taxes.
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Item 6. [Reserved].
Item 7.Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the other sections of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including the consolidated financial statements and related notes contained in Item 8, and the discussion of risks and cautionary factors that may affect future results in Item 1A. Risk Factors.
Description of Our Company
We are a leading international tobacco company working to deliver a smoke-free future and to evolve our portfolio for the long term to include products outside of the tobacco and nicotine sector. Our current product portfolio primarily consists of cigarettes and smoke-free products, which include heat-not-burn, vapor, and oral nicotine products. Since 2008, we have invested more than $10.5 billion to develop, scientifically substantiate and commercialize innovative smoke-free products for adults who would otherwise continue to smoke, with the goal of completely ending the sale of cigarettes. This investment includes the building of world-class scientific assessment capabilities, notably in the areas of pre-clinical systems toxicology, clinical and behavioral research, as well as post-market studies. In November 2022, we acquired Swedish Match AB ("Swedish Match") – a leader in oral nicotine delivery – creating a global smoke-free combination led by the companies’ IQOS and ZYN brands. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") has authorized versions of our IQOS Platform 1 devices and consumables, and Swedish Match's General snus, as Modified Risk Tobacco Products (MRTPs). We describe the MRTP orders in more detail in the "Business Environment" section of this Item 7.
As of December 31, 2022, we managed our business in six geographical segments, a Swedish Match segment and a Wellness and Healthcare segment:
•European Union ("EU");
•Eastern Europe ("EE");
•Middle East & Africa ("ME&A"), which includes our international duty free business;
•South & Southeast Asia ("S&SA");
•East Asia & Australia ("EA&A");
•Americas ("AMCS");
•Swedish Match, which reflects our fourth quarter 2022 acquisition of the company; and
•Wellness and Healthcare ("W&H"), which includes the operating results of our new Wellness and Healthcare business, Vectura Fertin Pharma. In the third quarter of 2021, we acquired Fertin Pharma A/S, Vectura Group plc. (also known as Vectura Group Ltd.) and OtiTopic, Inc. On March 31, 2022, we launched a new Wellness and Healthcare business consolidating these entities, Vectura Fertin Pharma. The operating results of this new business are reported in the Wellness and Healthcare segment.
To further support the growth of our smoke-free business, reinforce consumer centricity, and increase the speed of innovation and deployment, in January 2023, we rearranged our operations in four geographical segments, down from the current six and as follows:
•Europe Region is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, and covers all the European Union countries, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and also Ukraine, Moldova and Southeast Europe;
•South and Southeast Asia, Commonwealth of Independent States, Middle East and Africa Region is headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It covers South and Southeast Asia, the African continent, the Middle East, Turkey, as well as Israel, Central Asia, Caucasus and Russia;
•East Asia, Australia, and PMI Duty Free Region is headquartered in Hong Kong, and includes the consolidation of our international duty free business with East Asia & Australia; and
•Americas Region is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, and covers the United States, Canada and Latin America.
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The operations of Swedish Match and our Wellness and Healthcare segment remained unchanged. We will report our financial results based on the new geographical segments as of the first quarter of 2023.
In November 2022, we completed the relocation of our corporate headquarters, including our AMCS headquarters, from New York, New York, to Stamford, Connecticut.
Our cigarettes are sold in approximately 175 markets, and in many of these markets they hold the number one or number two market share position. We have a wide range of premium, mid-price and low-price brands. Ourportfolio comprises both international and local brands.
Smoke-free products ("SFPs") is the term we primarily use to refer to all of our products that are not combustible tobacco products, such as heat-not-burn, e-vapor, and oral nicotine. In addition, SFPs include wellness and healthcare products, as well as consumer accessories such as lighters and matches.
In addition to the manufacture and sale of cigarettes, we are engaged in the development and commercialization of reduced-risk products ("RRPs"). RRPs is the term we use to refer to products that present, are likely to present, or have the potential to present less risk of harm to smokers who switch to these products versus continuing smoking. We have a range of RRPs in various stages of development, scientific assessment and commercialization. Our RRPs are SFPs that contain and/or generate far lower quantities of harmful and potentially harmful constituents than found in cigarette smoke. IQOS is the leading brand in our SFP portfolio. As of December 31, 2022, our smoke-free products were available for sale in 73 markets.
In 2021, we laid the foundation for our long-term growth ambitions beyond nicotine in wellness and healthcare, including the milestone acquisitions of Vectura Group plc and Fertin Pharma A/S, as noted above, which provide essential capabilities for future product development. Now, through our Vectura Fertin Pharma subsidiary, with a strong foundation and significant expertise in life sciences, we aim to expand into wellness and healthcare areas.
In 2022, we acquired Swedish Match AB, a market leader in oral nicotine delivery with a significant presence in the United States market. The Swedish Match acquisition is a key milestone in PMI’s transformation to becoming a smoke-free company. Swedish Match already has a leading nicotine pouch franchise in the U.S. under the ZYN brand name. The Swedish Match product portfolio is complementary to our existing portfolio, permitting us to bring together a leading oral nicotine product with the leading heat-not-burn product. By joining forces with Swedish Match, we expect to accelerate the achievement of our joint smoke-free ambitions, switching more adults who would otherwise continue to smoke to better alternatives faster than either company could achieve separately.
For further details of our 2021 and 2022 acquisitions, see Item 8, Note 3. Acquisitions and Note 13. Segment Reporting
We use the term net revenues to refer to our operating revenues from the sale of our products, including shipping and handling charges billed to customers, net of sales and promotion incentives, and excise taxes. Our net revenues and operating income are affected by various factors, including the volume of products we sell, the price of our products, changes in currency exchange rates and the mix of products we sell. Mix is a term used to refer to the proportionate value of premium-price brands to mid-price or low-price brands in any given market (product mix). Mix can also refer to the proportion of shipment volume in more profitable markets versus shipment volume in less profitable markets (geographic mix).
Our cost of sales consists principally of: tobacco leaf, non-tobacco raw materials, labor and manufacturing costs; shipping and handling costs; and the cost of devices produced by third-party electronics manufacturing service providers. Estimated costs associated with device warranty programs are generally provided for in cost of sales in the period the related revenues are recognized.
Our marketing, administration and research costs include the costs of marketing and selling our products, other costs generally not related to the manufacture of our products (including general corporate expenses), and costs incurred to develop new products. The most significant components of our marketing, administration and research costs are marketing and sales expenses and general and administrative expenses.
Philip Morris International Inc. is a legal entity separate and distinct from its direct and indirect subsidiaries. Accordingly, our right, and thus the right of our creditors and stockholders, to participate in any distribution of the assets or earnings of any subsidiary is subject to the prior rights of creditors of such subsidiary, except to the extent that claims of our company itself as a creditor may be recognized. As a holding company, our principal sources of funds, including funds to make payment on our debt securities, are from the receipt of dividends and repayment of debt from our subsidiaries. Our principal wholly owned and majority-owned subsidiaries currently are not limited by long-term debt or other agreements in their ability to pay cash dividends or to make other distributions that are otherwise compliant with law.
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Executive Summary
The following executive summary provides the business update and significant highlights from the Discussion and Analysis that follows.
War in Ukraine
Since the onset of the war in Ukraine, our main priority has been the safety and security of our more than 1,300 employees and their families in the country. PMI has helped to evacuate more than 1,000 people from Ukraine and relocate over 2,700 others from conflict zones to locations in the country away from the heaviest fighting; provided critical aid to employees who cannot leave or who decide to remain in Ukraine; and provided those who have left the country with a range of support in neighboring countries. We are continuing to pay salaries to all our Ukrainian employees and are also providing substantial in-kind support to them and their families. In addition, we have contributed approximately $10 million in funds and donated essential items across the country.
On February 25, 2022, in order to preserve the safety of our employees, we announced the temporary suspension of our commercial and manufacturing operations in Ukraine, including at our factory in Kharkiv. We subsequently resumed some retail activities where safety allowed, in order to provide product availability and service to adult consumers, and began to supply the market from production centers outside Ukraine, as well as through a contract manufacturing arrangement. Production at our factory in Kharkiv remains suspended.
In 2022, Ukraine accounted for around 2% of our total cigarette and heated tobacco unit shipment volume and around 1% of our total net revenues. As of December 31, 2022, our Ukrainian operations had approximately $0.4 billion in total assets, excluding intercompany balances.
We employ more than 3,200 people in Russia and will continue to support our employees there, including paying their salaries, while continuing to fulfill our legal obligations. We will continue to make decisions with employee safety and security as a priority.
On March 24, 2022, we announced the concrete steps we had taken to suspend planned investments and scale down our manufacturing operations in Russia, including: the discontinuation of a number of cigarette products; the suspension of our marketing activities; the cancellation of all product launches planned for 2022, including ILUMA; and the cancellation of our plans to manufacture heated tobacco units for ILUMA in Russia.
We are continuously assessing the evolving situation in Russia, including: recent regulatory constraints in the market that entail very complex terms and conditions that must be met for any divestment transaction to be granted approval by the authorities; and restrictions resulting from international regulations.
In 2022, Russia accounted for approximately 9% of total shipment volumes and around 7% of our total net revenues. As of December 31, 2022, our Russian operations had approximately $2.5 billion in total assets, excluding intercompany balances, of which approximately $0.6 billion consisted of cash and equivalents held mostly in local currency (Russian rubles).
We recorded pre-tax charges related to the war in Ukraine of approximately $151 million in 2022 (including humanitarian efforts). This includes charges in Russia related to the cancellation of the planned launch of ILUMA and the planned production of related heated tobacco units.
These developments above have and will continue to have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial position, and may result in impairment charges.
For further details, see Item 8, Note 4. War in Ukraine to our consolidated financial statements as well as Item 1A. Risk Factors and the "Trade Policy" section of this MD&A.
Agreement with Altria Group, Inc. regarding Commercialization of IQOSin the U.S.
On October 20, 2022, PMI announced that it had reached an agreement with Altria Group, Inc. to end the companies' relationship regarding the IQOS commercialization rights in the U.S. as of April 30, 2024. As a result of PMI reacquiring these rights, effective May 1, 2024, PMI will have the full rights to commercialize IQOS in the U.S. As part of the agreement, PMI agreed to pay a total cash consideration of $2.7 billion, with $1.0 billion paid at the inception of the agreement and the remaining $1.7 billion (plus interest, at a per annum rate equal to six percent (6%)), to be paid by July 2023 at the latest.
For further details, see Item 8, Note 3. Acquisitions.
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Swedish Match Acquisition
On November 11, 2022, Philip Morris Holland Holdings B.V. (“PMHH”), a wholly owned subsidiary of PMI, acquired a controlling interest of 85.87% of the total issued and outstanding shares in Swedish Match. Swedish Match's operating results beginning on November 11, 2022 through December 31, 2022, are included in PMI's consolidated statement of earnings and disclosed as a separate segment.
On November 28, 2022, PMHH announced that it had acquired 93.11% of the shares in Swedish Match and intended to: (i) initiate compulsory redemption under the Swedish Companies Act to acquire all remaining shares in Swedish Match; and (ii) request delisting of Swedish Match’s shares from Nasdaq Stockholm.
On December 16, 2022, Swedish Match announced that the compulsory redemption process had been initiated. On December 30, 2022, the shares of Swedish Match were delisted from Nasdaq Stockholm, by which time PMHH had become the owner of 94.81% of Swedish Match's shares.
For further details, see Item 8, Note 3. Acquisitions.
KT&G
On January 30, 2023, PMI announced a long-term collaboration with KT&G, South Korea’s leading tobacco and nicotine manufacturer, to continue to commercialize KT&G’s innovative smoke-free devices and consumables on an exclusive, worldwide basis (excluding South Korea).
The agreement covers fifteen years, to January 29, 2038, with performance-review cycles and associated commitments, based on volume, to be confirmed for each three-year period, to allow flexibility for evolving market conditions.
For further details, see "Acquisitions and Other Business Arrangements" section of this MD&A.
Consolidated Operating Results
•Net Revenues – Net revenues of $31.8 billion for the year ended December 31, 2022, increased by $0.4 billion, or 1.1%, from the comparable 2021 amount. The change in our net revenues from the comparable 2021 amount was driven by the following (variances not to scale):
Net revenues, excluding currency and acquisitions, increased by 8.0%, mainly reflecting: favorable volume/mix, primarily driven by higher heated tobacco units ("HTU") volume and device volume, partly offset by lower cigarette volume and unfavorable device mix, cigarette mix and HTU mix; a favorable pricing variance, driven by higher combustible tobacco pricing, partly offset by lower device pricing and lower HTU (net) pricing; and a favorable comparison related to the Saudi Arabia customs assessments of $246 million in 2021, shown in "Other" and further described in the following "Diluted Earnings Per Share" discussion.
In 2022, Russia and Ukraine accounted for around 8% of PMI's total net revenues.
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Net revenues by product category for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, are shown below:
Following the Swedish Match acquisition and a review of PMI and Swedish Match’s combined product portfolio, PMI reclassified certain of its own products previously reported under its combustible tobacco product category to the newly created smoke-free product category to better reflect the characteristics of these products. This reclassification did not impact PMI’s segment reporting, consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows in any of the periods presented. For further details, see Item 8, Note 13. Segment Reporting.
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•Diluted Earnings Per Share– The changes in our reported diluted earnings per share (“diluted EPS”) for the year ended December 31, 2022, from the comparable 2021 amounts, were as follows:
Diluted EPS % Change
2021 Asset impairment and exit costs 0.12
2021 Saudi Arabia customs assessments 0.14
2021 Equity investee ownership dilution (0.04)
2021 Amortization and impairment of intangibles 0.05
2022 Charges related to the war in Ukraine (0.08)
2022 Fair value adjustment for equity security investments 0.02
2022 Amortization and impairment of intangibles (0.15)
2022 Costs associated with Swedish Match AB offer (0.06)
2022 Swedish Match AB acquisition accounting related item (0.06)
2022 Tax benefit associated with Swedish Match AB financing 0.13
Change in tax rate 0.03
Asset impairment and exit costs – During 2021, we recorded pre-tax asset impairment and exit costs of $216 million, representing $181 million net of income tax and a diluted EPS charge of $0.12 per share, related to the organizational design optimization plan, primarily in Switzerland, and the product distribution restructuring in South Korea. The pre-tax charge was recorded in marketing, administration and research costs in the consolidated statements of earnings for the year ended December 31, 2021. For further details, see Item 8, Note 20. Asset Impairment and Exit Costs.
Saudi Arabia customs assessments – In June 2021, the Customs Appeal Committee in Riyadh notified our distributors in Saudi Arabia of its decisions to largely reject their challenges of the Saudi Arabia Customs General Authority assessments as described in Item 8, Note 18. Contingencies. On the basis of these decisions and in line with arrangements with the distributors, we recorded a pre-tax charge of $246 million in the second quarter of 2021 (representing $215 million net of income tax and a diluted EPS charge of $0.14 per share). The pre-tax charge was recorded as a reduction of net revenues on the consolidated statement of earnings for the year ended December 31, 2021, and was included in the Middle East & Africa segment results.
Asset acquisition cost – In August 2021, we acquired 100% of OtiTopic, Inc., a U.S. respiratory drug development company with a late-stage dry powder inhalation aspirin treatment for acute myocardial infarction. We accounted for this transaction as an asset acquisition since the acquired in-process research and development ("IPR&D") of the dry powder inhalation aspirin treatment represented substantially all of the fair value of the gross assets acquired. At the date of acquisition, we determined that the acquired IPR&D had no alternative future use. As a result, we recorded a pre-tax charge of $51 million (representing a $0.03 per share charge to diluted EPS) to research and development costs within marketing, administration and research costs in the consolidated statements of earnings for the year ended December 31, 2021. For further details, see Item 8, Note 3. Acquisitions.
Equity investee ownership dilution – In 2021, our equity method investee, Medicago Inc., initiated additional rounds of equity funding in which we did not participate. As a result, our share of holdings in Medicago Inc. was reduced from approximately 32% at December 31, 2020, to approximately 23% as of December 31, 2021. The ownership dilution resulted in a $0.04 per share
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favorable impact to diluted EPS and income of $55 million to equity investments and securities (income)/loss, net in the consolidated statements of earnings for the year ended December 31, 2021. For further details, see Item 8, Note 18. Contingencies - Third Party Guarantees.
Amortization and impairment of intangibles– During 2022 and 2021, we recorded amortization and impairment of intangibles of $271 million (representing $227 million net of income tax or $0.15 per share decrease in diluted EPS) and $96 million (representing $78 million net of income tax or $0.05 per share decrease in diluted EPS), respectively. The pre-tax amortization and impairment of intangibles amount in 2022 consisted of amortization expense of $159 million primarily due to increased acquired intangible assets recorded as a result of our acquisitions in the third quarter of 2021, and an impairment charge of $112 million reflecting the impact of general economic and market conditions resulting in a reduction in future estimated cash flows on certain products within the Wellness and Healthcare segment. For further details, see Item 8, Note 3. Acquisitions and Note 5. Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, net.
Charges related to the war in Ukraine – During 2022, we recorded a pre-tax charge of $151 million, representing $128 million net of income tax and a diluted EPS charge of $0.08 per share, related to circumstances driven by the war, including machinery and inventory write-downs, additional allowances for receivables and the cost of PMI’s humanitarian efforts. For further details, see Item 8, Note 4. War in Ukraine.
Fair Value adjustment for equity security investments – During 2022, we recorded a favorable fair value adjustment for our equity security investments in India and Sri Lanka ($0.02 per share increase in diluted EPS). For further details, see Item 8, Note 6. Related Parties - Equity Investments and Other.
Costs associated with Swedish Match AB offer – During 2022, we incurred pre-tax costs associated with the Swedish Match acquisition of $116 million (representing $99 million net of income tax and a diluted EPS charge of $0.06 per share) primarily related to financing costs, derivative financials instruments and certain transaction related costs. These pre-tax costs of $116 million were recorded in marketing, administration and research costs ($115 million expense) and interest expense, net ($1 million expense) on our consolidated statement of earnings for the year ended December 31, 2022.
Swedish Match AB acquisition accounting related item – Following the Swedish Match acquisition, we recorded pre-tax purchase accounting adjustments of $125 million related to the sale of acquired inventories stepped up to fair value (representing $94 million net of income tax and a diluted EPS charge of $0.06 per share). These pre-tax adjustments were recorded in cost of sales in the consolidated statements of earnings for the year ended December 31, 2022. For further details, see Item 8, Note 3. Acquisitions.
Income taxes – The 2022 Tax benefit associated with Swedish Match AB financing that increased our 2022 diluted EPS by $0.13 per share in the table above was due to a deferred tax benefit for unrealized foreign currency losses on intercompany loans related to the Swedish Match acquisition financing reflected in the consolidated statements of earnings, while the underlying pre-tax foreign currency movements fully offset in the consolidated statements of earnings and were reflected as currency translation adjustments in the consolidated statements of stockholders' (deficit) equity at December 31, 2022. The 2022 Tax items that increased our 2022 diluted EPS by $0.03 per share in the table above were due to a reduction in deferred tax liabilities related to pension plan assets of $40 million. The change in the tax rate that increased our diluted EPS by $0.03 per share in the table above was primarily due to changes in income tax reserves.
Currency – The unfavorable impact of $0.77 per share during the reporting period primarily results from the fluctuations of the U.S. dollar, especially against the Egyptian pound, Euro, Hungarian forint, Japanese yen and Polish zloty, partially offset by the Russian ruble and Swiss franc. This unfavorable currency movement has impacted our profitability across our primary revenue markets and local currency cost bases.
Interest – The favorable impact of $0.02 per share from interest in the table above was primarily driven by the repayment of long-term debt maturing in 2021 and 2022, and higher net interest income driven by higher interest rates, partially offset by higher interest expense in connection with the Swedish Match acquisition.
Operations – The increase in diluted EPS of $0.57 per share from our operations in the table above was due primarily to the following segments:
•European Union: Favorable volume/mix, partly offset by unfavorable pricing, higher manufacturing costs and higher marketing, administration and research costs;
•Middle East & Africa: Favorable volume/mix, favorable pricing and lower marketing, administration and research costs, partly offset by higher manufacturing costs; and
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•South & Southeast Asia: Lower marketing, administration and research costs and favorable pricing, partly offset by unfavorable volume/mix;
partially offset by
•East Asia & Australia: Unfavorable volume/mix and higher manufacturing costs, partly offset by lower marketing, administration and research costs;
•Wellness and Healthcare: Primarily reflecting investments in research and development, as well as expenses related to employee retention programs;
•Americas: Higher marketing, administration and research costs and higher manufacturing costs, partly offset by favorable pricing; and
•Eastern Europe: Unfavorable volume/mix, higher manufacturing costs and higher marketing, administration and research costs, partly offset by favorable pricing.
For further details, see the Consolidated Operating Results and Operating Results by Business Segment sections of the following Discussion and Analysis.
Discussion and Analysis
Critical Accounting Estimates
Item 8, Note 2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies to our consolidated financial statements includes a summary of the significant accounting policies and methods used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements. In most instances, we must use a particular accounting policy or method because it is the only one that is permitted under U.S. GAAP.
The preparation of financial statements requires that we use estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of our assets, liabilities, net revenues and expenses, as well as our disclosure of contingencies. If actual amounts differ from previous estimates, we include the revisions in our consolidated results of operations in the period during which we know the actual amounts. Historically, aggregate differences, if any, between our estimates and actual amounts in any year have not had a significant impact on our consolidated financial statements.
The selection and disclosure of our critical accounting estimates have been discussed with our Audit Committee. The following is a discussion of the more significant assumptions, estimates, accounting policies and methods used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements:
Acquisitions - PMI accounts for business combinations using the acquisition method of accounting. PMI allocates the purchase price of an acquired business to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based upon their estimated fair values at the acquisition date with the excess recorded as Goodwill. The fair value of the applicable assets acquired and liabilities assumed is determined through established valuation techniques, such as the income, cost or market approach. PMI may utilize third-party valuation experts to assist in the fair value determination of certain assets acquired and liabilities assumed. The determination of fair value requires management to make judgements and may involve the use of significant estimates, including assumptions with respect to estimated projected revenue growth, future cash flows, terminal growth rates, useful economic lives of intangible assets acquired, discount rates, royalty rates and other factors. Certain acquired intangibles are expected to have indefinite lives based on their history and PMI’s intent to continue to support and build the intangible.
Although PMI believes its estimates of fair value are reasonable, actual financial results could differ from those estimates. Changes in assumptions related to future financial results or other underlying assumptions could have a significant impact on the determination of the fair value of the intangible assets acquired.
See Item 8, Note 3. Acquisitions to our consolidated financial statements for details of the critical accounting estimates relevant to the business combinations in the periods presented in this Form 10-K.
Revenue Recognition - We recognize revenue as performance obligations are satisfied. Our primary performance obligation is the distribution and sales of cigarettes and smoke-free products, including heat-not-burn, vapor and oral nicotine products. Our performance obligations are typically satisfied upon shipment or delivery to our customers. PMI estimates the cost of sales returns based on historical experience, and these estimates are immaterial. Estimated costs associated with warranty programs for IQOS devices are generally provided for in cost of sales in the period the related revenues are recognized, based on a number of factors, including historical experience, product failure rates and warranty policies. The transaction price is typically based on the amount
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billed to the customer and includes estimated variable consideration where applicable. Such variable consideration is typically not constrained and is estimated based on the most likely amount that PMI expects to be entitled to under the terms of the contracts with customers, historical experience of discount or rebate redemption, where relevant, and the terms of any underlying discount or rebate programs, which may change from time to time as the business and product categories evolve.
Inventories - Our inventories are valued at the lower of cost or market based upon assumptions about future demand and market conditions. The valuation of inventory also requires us to estimate obsolete and excess inventory. We perform regular reviews of our inventory on hand, as well as our future purchase commitments with our suppliers, considering multiple factors, including demand forecasts, product life cycle, current sales levels, pricing strategy and cost trends. If our review indicates that inventories of raw materials, components or finished products have become obsolete or are in excess of anticipated demand or that inventory cost exceeds net realizable value, we may be required to make adjustments that will impact the results of operations.
Goodwill and Non-Amortizable Intangible Assets Valuation - We test goodwill and non-amortizable intangible assets for impairment annually or more frequently if events occur that would warrant such review. While PMI has the option to perform a qualitative assessment for both goodwill and non-amortizable intangible assets to determine if it is more likely than not that an impairment exists, PMI elects to perform the quantitative assessment for our annual impairment analysis. The impairment analysis involves comparing the fair value of each reporting unit or non-amortizable intangible asset to the carrying value. If the carrying value exceeds the fair value, goodwill or a non-amortizable intangible asset is considered impaired. To determine the fair value of goodwill, we primarily use the market approach using earnings multiples of comparable global companies within the tobacco industry, supported by a discounted cash flow model. At December 31, 2022, the carrying value of our goodwill was $19.7 billion, which is related to ten geographical reporting units, each of which consists of a group of markets with similar operating and economic characteristics, Wellness and Healthcare business, Vectura Fertin Pharma and our 2022 acquisition. The acquisition of Swedish Match in 2022 is considered a separate operating segment. For additional information, see Item 8, Note 3. Acquisitions. The estimated fair value of each of our ten geographical reporting units, Wellness and Healthcare business and Swedish Match exceeded the carrying value as of December 31, 2022. To determine the fair value of non-amortizable intangible assets, we primarily use a discounted cash flow model applying the relief-from-royalty method. We concluded that the fair value of our non-amortizable intangible assets exceeded the carrying value.These discounted cash flow models include management assumptions relevant for forecasting operating cash flows, which are subject to changes in business conditions, such as volumes and prices, costs to produce, discount rates and estimated capital needs. Management considers historical experience and all available information at the time the fair values are estimated, and we believe these assumptions are consistent with the assumptions a hypothetical marketplace participant would use. Since the March 28, 2008, spin-off from Altria Group, Inc., we have not recorded a charge to earnings for an impairment of goodwill or non-amortizable intangible assets.
Marketing Costs - We incur certain costs to support our products through programs that include advertising, marketing, consumer engagement and trade promotions. The costs of our advertising and marketing programs are expensed in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Recognition of the cost related to our consumer engagement and trade promotion programs contain uncertainties due to the judgment required in estimating the potential performance and compliance for each program. For volume-based incentives provided to customers, management continually assesses and estimates, by customer, the likelihood of the customer's achieving the specified targets, and records the reduction of revenue as the sales are made. For other trade promotions, management relies on estimated utilization rates that have been developed from historical experience. Changes in the assumptions used in estimating the cost of any individual marketing program would not result in a material change in our financial position, results of operations or operating cash flows.
Employee Benefit Plans - As discussed in Item 8, Note 14. Benefit Plans to our consolidated financial statements, we provide a range of benefits to our employees and retired employees, including pensions, postretirement health care and postemployment benefits (primarily severance). We record annual amounts relating to these plans based on calculations specified by U.S. GAAP. These calculations include various actuarial assumptions, such as discount rates, assumed rates of return on plan assets, compensation increases, mortality, turnover rates and health care cost trend rates. We review actuarial assumptions on an annual basis and make modifications to the assumptions based on current rates and trends when it is deemed appropriate to do so. As permitted by U.S. GAAP, any effect of the modifications is generally amortized over future periods. We believe that the assumptions utilized in calculating our obligations under these plans are reasonable based upon our historical experience and advice from our actuaries.
Weighted-average discount rate assumptions for pension and postretirement plan obligations at December 31, 2022 and 2021 are as follows:
Postretirement plans 5.89% 3.08%
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We anticipate that assumption changes will decrease 2023 pre-tax pension and postretirement expense to approximately $91 million as compared with approximately $152 million in 2022, excluding amounts related to employee severance and early retirement programs. The anticipated decrease is primarily due to lower amortization of unrecognized actuarial losses of $168 million, coupled with lower service cost of $74 million, partially offset by higher interest cost of $167 million and other movements of $14 million.
Weighted-average expected rate of return and discount rate assumptions have a significant effect on the amount of expense reported for the employee benefit plans. A fifty-basis-point decrease in our discount rate would increase our 2023 pension and postretirement expense by approximately $40 million, and a fifty-basis-point increase in our discount rate would increase our 2023 pension and postretirement expense by approximately $1 million. Similarly, a fifty-basis-point decrease (increase) in the expected return on plan assets would increase (decrease) our 2023 pension expense by approximately $37 million.
Income Taxes - Income tax provisions for jurisdictions outside the United States, as well as state and local income tax provisions, are determined on a separate company basis, and the related assets and liabilities are recorded in our consolidated balance sheets.
The extent of our operations involves dealing with uncertainties and judgments in the application of complex tax regulations in a multitude of jurisdictions. The final taxes paid are dependent upon many factors, including negotiations with taxing authorities in various jurisdictions and resolution of disputes arising from federal, state, and international tax audits. In accordance with the authoritative guidance for income taxes, we evaluate potential tax exposures and record tax liabilities for anticipated tax audit issues based on our estimate of whether, and the extent to which, additional taxes will be due. We adjust these reserves in light of changing facts and circumstances; however, due to the complexity of some of these uncertainties, the ultimate resolution may result in a payment that is materially different from our current estimate of the tax liabilities. If our estimate of tax liabilities proves to be less than the ultimate assessment, an additional charge to expense would generally result. If payment of these amounts ultimately proves to be less than the recorded amounts, the reversal of the liabilities would result in tax benefits being recognized in the period when we determine the liabilities are no longer necessary.
We are required to assess the likelihood of recovering deferred tax assets against future sources of taxable income. If we determine, using all available evidence, that we do not reach the more likely than not threshold for recovery, a valuation allowance is recorded. Significant judgment is required in determining the need for and amount of valuation allowances for deferred tax assets including estimates of future taxable income in the applicable jurisdictions and the feasibility of on-going tax planning strategies, as applicable.
The effective tax rates used for interim reporting are based on our full-year geographic earnings mix projections. Changes in currency exchange rates, earnings mix by taxing jurisdiction or future regulatory developments may have an impact on the effective tax rates. Significant judgment is required in determining income tax provisions and in evaluating tax positions.
For further details, see Item 8, Note 12. Income Taxes to our consolidated financial statements.
Hedging - As discussed below in “Market Risk,” we use derivative financial instruments principally to reduce exposures to market risks resulting from fluctuations in foreign currency exchange and interest rates by creating offsetting exposures. For derivative contracts that are designated and qualify as fair value hedges the gain or loss on the derivative, as well as the offsetting gain or loss on the hedged items attributable to the hedged risk, is recognized in the consolidated statement of earnings. For our other derivatives to which we have elected to apply hedge accounting, gains and losses on these derivatives are initially deferred in accumulated other comprehensive losses on the consolidated balance sheet and recognized in the consolidated statement of earnings into the same line item as the impact of the underlying transaction and in the periods when the related hedged transactions are also recognized in operating results. If we had elected not to use the hedge accounting provisions, gains (losses) deferred in stockholders’ (deficit) equity would have been recorded in our net earnings for these derivatives.
Contingencies - Asdiscussed in Item 8, Note 18. Contingencies, to our consolidated financial statements, legal proceedings covering a wide range of matters are pending or threatened against us, and/or our subsidiaries, and/or our indemnitees in various jurisdictions. We and our subsidiaries record provisions in the consolidated financial statements for pending litigation when we determine that an unfavorable outcome is probable and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. The variability in pleadings in multiple jurisdictions, together with the actual experience of management in litigating claims, demonstrate that the monetary relief that may be specified in a lawsuit bears little relevance to the ultimate outcome. Much of the tobacco-related litigation is in its early stages, and litigation is subject to uncertainty. At the present time, except as stated otherwise in Item 8, Note 18. Contingencies, while it is reasonably possible that an unfavorable outcome in a case may occur, after assessing the information available to it: (i) management has not concluded that it is probable that a loss has been incurred in any of the pending tobacco-related cases; (ii) management is unable to estimate the possible loss or range of loss for any of the pending tobacco-related cases; and (iii) accordingly, no estimated loss has been accrued in the consolidated financial statements for unfavorable outcomes in these cases, if any. Legal defense costs are expensed as incurred.
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Consolidated Operating Results
Our net revenues and operating income by segment were as follows:
Net Revenues
Swedish Match 316 — —
Wellness and Healthcare 271 101 —
Operating Income (Loss)
Swedish Match (22) — —
Wellness and Healthcare (258) (52) —
Items affecting the comparability of results from operations were as follows:
•Charges related to the war in Ukraine - See Item 8, Note 4. War in Ukraine for details of the $151 million pre-tax charges in the Eastern Europe segment for the year ended December 31, 2022.
•Swedish Match AB acquisition accounting related item - See Item 8, Note 3. Acquisitions for details of the $125 million pre-tax purchase accounting adjustments related to the sale of acquired inventories stepped up to fair value included in the Swedish Match segment for the year ended December 31, 2022.
•Impairment of intangibles - See Item 8, Note 5. Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, net for the details of the $112 million pre-tax impairment charge included in the Wellness and Healthcare segment within the operating income table above for the year ended December 31, 2022.
•Asset impairment and exit costs - See Item 8, Note 20. Asset Impairment and Exit Costs for details of the $216 million and $149 million pre-tax charges for the year ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, as well as a breakdown of these costs by segment.
•Saudi Arabia customs assessments - See Item 8, Note 18. Contingencies for the details of the $246 million reduction in net revenues of combustible tobacco products included in the Middle East & Africa segment for the year ended December 31, 2021.
•Asset acquisition cost - See Item 8, Note 3. Acquisitions for the details of the $51 million pre-tax charge associated with the asset acquisition of OtiTopic, Inc. included in the Wellness and Healthcare segment within the operating income table above for the year ended December 31, 2021.
•Brazil indirect tax credit - Following a final and enforceable decision by the highest court in Brazil in October 2020, PMI recorded a gain of $119 million for tax credits representing overpayments of indirect taxes for the period from March 2012 through December 2019; these tax credits were applied to tax liabilities in Brazil during 2021. This amount was included as a
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reduction in marketing, administration and research costs in the consolidated statements of earnings for the year ended December 31, 2020 and was included in the operating income of the Americas segment. An additional amount of overpaid indirect taxes of approximately $90 million is dependent on the outcome of a challenge by the local tax authority.
Our net revenues by product category were as follows:
PMI Net Revenues by Product Category
Combustible tobacco products
Swedish Match 70 — —
Smoke-free products
Smoke-free products excluding Wellness and Healthcare:
South & Southeast Asia 23 11 1
Swedish Match 246 — —
Total smoke-free products excluding Wellness and Healthcare 9,919 9,237 6,947
Wellness and Healthcare 271 101 —
Note: Sum of product categories or Regions might not foot to total PMI due to rounding.
Following the Swedish Match acquisition and a review of PMI and Swedish Match’s combined product portfolio, PMI reclassified certain of its own products previously reported under its combustible tobacco product category to the newly created smoke-free product category to better reflect the characteristics of these products. This reclassification did not impact PMI’s segment reporting, consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows in any of the periods presented. For further details, see Item 8, Note 13. Segment Reporting.
Net revenues related to combustible tobacco products refer to the operating revenues generated from the sale of these products, including shipping and handling charges billed to customers, net of sales and promotion incentives, and excise taxes. These net revenue amounts consist of the sale of our cigarettes and other tobacco products that are combusted. Other tobacco products primarily include roll-your-own and make-your-own cigarettes, pipe tobacco, cigars and cigarillos and do not include smoke-free products.
Net revenues related to smoke-free products refer to the operating revenues generated from the sale of these products, including shipping and handling charges billed to customers, net of sales and promotion incentives, and excise taxes, if applicable. These net revenue amounts consist of the sale of all of our products that are not combustible tobacco products, such as heat-not-burn, e-vapor, and oral nicotine, also including wellness and healthcare products, as well as consumer accessories such as lighters and matches.
Net revenues related to wellness and healthcare products consist of operating revenues generated from the sale of products primarily associated with inhaled therapeutics, and oral and intra-oral delivery systems that are included in the operating results of PMI's new
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Wellness and Healthcare business, Vectura Fertin Pharma.
PMI's heat-not-burn products include licensed KT&G heat-not-burn products.
References to "Cost/Other" in the Consolidated Financial Summary table of total PMI and the six geographical segments throughout this "Discussion and Analysis" reflects the currency-neutral variances of: cost of sales (excluding the volume/mix cost component); marketing, administration and research costs (including asset impairment and exit costs); and amortization and impairment of intangibles. “Cost/Other” also includes the currency-neutral net revenue variance, unrelated to volume/mix and price components, attributable to: fees for certain distribution rights billed to customers in certain markets in the ME&A Region, and the Saudi Arabia customs assessment net revenue adjustment.
Our shipment volume by segment for cigarettes and heated tobacco units was as follows:
PMI Shipment Volume (Million Units)
Cigarettes
Heated Tobacco Units
Cigarettes and Heated Tobacco Units
Following the deconsolidation of our Canadian subsidiary, we continue to report the volume of brands sold by RBH for which other PMI subsidiaries are the trademark owners. These include HEETS, Next, Philip Morris and Rooftop.
Heated tobacco units ("HTU") is the term we use to refer to heated tobacco consumables, which include our BLENDS, HEETS, HEETS Creations, HEETS Dimensions, HEETS Marlboro and HEETS FROM MARLBORO (defined collectively as HEETS), MarlboroDimensions, MarlboroHeatSticks, Parliament HeatSticks, SENTIA and TEREA, as well as the KT&G-licensed brands, Fiit and Miix (outside of South Korea).
Market share for HTUs is defined as the in-market sales volume for HTUs as a percentage of the total estimated industry sales volume for cigarettes and HTUs.
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References to total industry, total market, our shipment volume and our market share performance reflect cigarettes and heated tobacco units, unless otherwise stated.
As of 2022 and on a comparative basis, total industry volume, PMI in-market sales volume and PMI market share for the following geographies include the cigarillo category in Japan: the total international market, East Asia & Australia Region, and Japanese domestic market.
References to total international market, defined as worldwide cigarette and heated tobacco unit volume excluding the United States, total industry, total market and market shares throughout this "Discussion and Analysis" are our estimates for tax-paid products based on the latest available data from a number of internal and external sources and may, in defined instances, exclude China and/or our duty free business.
Estimates for total industry volume and market share in certain geographies reflect limitations on the availability and accuracy of industry data during pandemic-related restrictions.
In-market sales ("IMS") is defined as sales to the retail channel, depending on the market and distribution model.
Central Asia is defined as Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
North Africa is defined as Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia.
The Gulf Cooperation Council ("GCC") is defined as Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Southeast Europe is defined as Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia.
From time to time, PMI’s shipment volumes are subject to the impact of distributor inventory movements, and estimated total industry/market volumes are subject to the impact of inventory movements in various trade channels that include estimated trade inventory movements of PMI’s competitors arising from market-specific factors that significantly distort reported volume disclosures. Such factors may include changes to the manufacturing supply chain, shipment methods, consumer demand, timing of excise tax increases or other influences that may affect the timing of sales to customers. In such instances, in addition to reviewing PMI shipment volumes and certain estimated total industry/market volumes on a reported basis, management reviews these measures on an adjusted basis that excludes the impact of distributor and/or estimated trade inventory movements. Management also believes that disclosing PMI shipment volumes and estimated total industry/market volumes in such circumstances on a basis that excludes the impact of distributor and/or estimated trade inventory movements improves the comparability of performance and trends for these measures over different reporting periods.
2022 compared with 2021
The following discussion compares our consolidated operating results for the year ended December 31, 2022, with the year ended December 31, 2021.
Estimated international industry cigarette and heated tobacco unit volume (excluding China and the U.S.) of 2.6 trillion, increased by 0.2%, driven by the EU, South & Southeast Asia and Americas Regions, partly offset by the Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa and East Asia & Australia Regions, as described in the Regional sections.
Excluding Russia and Ukraine, estimated international industry volume increased by 0.9%.
Our total shipment volume increased by 1.6%, driven by an increase of 14.9% for HTUs, partly offset by a 0.5% decline for cigarettes.
Excluding Russia and Ukraine, our total shipment volume increased by 3.2%, reflecting increases of 21.5% and 0.8% for HTUs and cigarettes, respectively. Our total shipment volume in the Eastern Europe Region increased by 2.7%, on the same basis.
For additional detail on PMI's shipment volume performance by Region, please refer to the "Total Market, PMI Shipment & Market Share Commentaries" sections for PMI's regional operating segments.
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Impact of Inventory Movements
The net unfavorable impact of estimated distributor inventory movements was immaterial in the year, with PMI’s total in-market sales increasing by 1.7%, or by 3.2% excluding Russia and Ukraine, both essentially in-line with the respective shipment volumes.
Our total HTU in-market sales volume for the year was 106.9 billion units, or 86.4 billion units excluding Russia and Ukraine, representing growth of 15.6% and 21.4%, respectively.
Our cigarette shipment volume by brand and heated tobacco unit shipment volume was as follows:
PMI Shipment Volume by Brand (Million Units)
Cigarettes
Note: Philip Morris includes Philip Morris/Dubliss.
Shipment volume for our HTU brands increased, primarily driven by the EU, Middle East & Africa and East Asia & Australia Regions, partly offset by the Eastern Europe Region.
Our cigarette shipment volume of the following international brands increased:
•Marlboro, mainly driven by the Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa and Americas Regions, partly offset by the EU Region;
•Chesterfield, primarily driven by the Eastern Europe and South & Southeast Asia Regions, partly offset by the Middle East & Africa Region; and
•Parliament, mainly driven by the Middle East & Africa Region.
Our cigarette shipment volume of the following international brands decreased:
•L&M, primarily due to the EU, Eastern Europe and South & Southeast Asia Regions, partly offset by the Middle East & Africa and Americas Regions; and
•Philip Morris, mainly due to the Eastern Europe and Americas Regions, partly offset by the East Asia & Australia Region.
The cigarette shipment volume decline for "Others" was mainly due to: Bond Street (primarily Eastern Europe) and Lark (mainly Japan and Turkey), partly offset by Dji Sam Soe (Indonesia).
Excluding Russia and Ukraine, our cigarette shipment volume increased by 1.8% for Marlboro, 5.6% for Chesterfield, 10.3% for Parliament and 6.3% for Philip Morris, and decreased by 0.3% for L&M.
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International Share of Market (Excluding China and the United States)
Total International Market Share (1) 27.6 % 27.2 % 0.4
Cigarette over Cigarette Market Share (2) 24.9 % 24.8 % 0.1
International Share of Market (Excluding China and the United States, as well as Russia and Ukraine)
Total International Market Share (1) 27.3 % 26.7 % 0.6
Cigarette over Cigarette Market Share (2) 24.9 % 24.6 % 0.3
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Key Market Data
Key market data regarding total market size, our shipments and market share were as follows:
PMI Shipments (billion units) PMI Market Share (%)(1)
European Union
Eastern Europe
Middle East & Africa
South & Southeast Asia
East Asia & Australia
Americas
(1) Market share estimates are calculated using IMS data
(2) Total market and market share estimates include cigarillos in Japan
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Financial Summary
(in millions)
(1) Favorable Cost/Other variance includes a $246 million reduction in net revenues in 2021 related to the Saudi Arabia customs assessments. For more details, see Item 8, Note 18. Contingencies.
(2) Cost/Other variance includes charges in 2022 of $112 million related to an impairment charge of intangible assets, $62 million related to the war in Ukraine and $125 million of Swedish Match AB acquisition accounting related item. For more details, Item 8, see Note 3. Acquisitions, Note 4. War in Ukraine and Note 5. Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, net.
(3) Cost/Other variance includes charges in 2022 of $89 million related to the war in Ukraine and $115 million in 2022 related to costs associated with the Swedish Match AB offer, offset by charges in 2021 of $216 million related to asset impairment and exit costs and $51 million in 2021 associated with the asset acquisition cost of OtiTopic, Inc. For more details, see Item 8, Note 3. Acquisitions, Note 4. War in Ukraine and Note 20. Asset Impairment and Exit Costs.
Net revenues, excluding currency and acquisitions, increased by 8.0%, mainly reflecting: favorable volume/mix, primarily driven by higher HTU volume and device volume, partly offset by lower cigarette volume and unfavorable device mix, cigarette mix and HTU mix; a favorable pricing variance, driven by higher combustible tobacco pricing, partly offset by lower device pricing and lower HTU (net) pricing; and a favorable comparison related to the Saudi Arabia customs assessments of $246 million in 2021, shown in "Cost/Other".
In 2022, Russia and Ukraine accounted for around 8% of PMI's total net revenues.
The unfavorable currency in net revenues was due primarily to the Egyptian pound, Euro, Japanese yen, Philippine peso, Polish zloty and Turkish lira, partly offset by the Russian ruble.
Net revenues include $10.2 billion in 2022 and $9.3 billion in 2021 related to the sale of smoke-free products. In 2022, IQOS devices accounted for approximately 5% of our full year smoke-free net revenues both including and excluding Russia and Ukraine.
Operating income decreased by 5.6%. Operating income, excluding currency and acquisitions, increased by 6.7%, which included: favorable comparisons versus the prior year period related to the 2021 Saudi Arabia customs assessments of $246 million (as noted above for net revenues), 2021 asset impairment and exit costs of $216 million and 2021 asset acquisition cost of $51 million, partly offset by the impact of 2022 costs associated with the Swedish Match AB offer of $115 million, higher amortization and impairment of intangibles (primarily $112 million related to impairment charges in 2022), 2022 charges related to the war in Ukraine of $151 million and $125 million of Swedish Match AB acquisition accounting related item in 2022. In addition to these items, operating income was impacted by: a favorable volume/mix, primarily driven by higher HTU volume, partly offset by lower cigarette volume, unfavorable cigarette mix, HTU mix and device mix, and the unfavorable impact on profitability of higher device volume; and a favorable pricing variance; partially offset by higher manufacturing costs (primarily due to higher logistics costs and other inflationary impacts, partly offset by productivity); and higher marketing, administration and research costs.
As reduced-risk products grow as a proportion of our business, notably for IQOS ILUMA where unit costs of devices and both the unit costs and weight of consumables are not yet fully optimized, a temporary dilutive margin impact is likely to continue in the coming quarters.
Like many other global companies, we are facing significant inflationary forces in the world economy. Inflationary pressures are growing as we renew pricing arrangements, notably for certain direct materials, wages, energy, and transportation costs. These inflationary pressures, including margin pressure from inflation as well as the cost of capital, could continue to grow in the upcoming quarters.
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Interest expense, net, of $588 million decreased by $40 million (6.4%) primarily driven by the repayment of long-term debt maturing in 2021 and 2022 and higher net interest income driven by higher interest rates, partially offset by higher interest expense in connection with the Swedish Match acquisition.
Our effective tax rate decreased by 2.5 percentage points to 19.3%. We estimate that our 2023 effective tax rate will be approximately 20.5% to 21.5%, excluding discrete tax events. For further details, see Item 8, Note 12. Income Taxes.
Net earnings attributable to PMI of $9.0 billion decreased by $0.1 billion or 0.7%. This decrease was due primarily to lower operating income as discussed above, partially offset by a lower effective income tax rate. Basic EPS of $5.82 and diluted EPS of $5.81 decreased by 0.2% and 0.3%, respectively. Excluding an unfavorable currency impact of $0.77, diluted EPS increased by 12.9%.
2021 compared with 2020
For a discussion comparing our consolidated operating results for the year ended December 31, 2021, with the year ended December 31, 2020, refer to Part II, Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation - Discussion and Analysis - Consolidated Operating Results in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, which was filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on February 11, 2022. This section is incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022.
Operating Results by Business Segment
Business Environment
Taxes, Legislation, Regulation and Other Matters Regarding the Manufacture, Marketing, Sale and Use of Tobacco Products
The tobacco industry and our company face a number of challenges that may adversely affect our business, volume, results of operations, cash flows and financial position. These challenges, which are discussed below and in “Cautionary Factors That May Affect Future Results,” include:
•regulatory restrictions on our products, including restrictions on the packaging, marketing, and sale of tobacco or other nicotine-containing products or related devices that could reduce our competitiveness, eliminate our ability to communicate with adult consumers, or even ban certain of our products;
•fiscal challenges, such as excessive excise tax increases and discriminatory tax structures;
•illicit trade in cigarettes and other tobacco and nicotine-containing products, including counterfeit, contraband and so-called "illicit whites";
•intense competition, including from non-tax paid volume by certain local manufacturers;
•pending and threatened litigation as discussed in Item 8, Note 18. Contingencies; and
•governmental investigations.
Regulatory Restrictions: The tobacco industry operates in a highly regulated environment. The well-known risks of smoking have led regulators to impose significant restrictions and high excise taxes on cigarettes.
Much of the regulation that shapes the business environment in which we operate is driven by the FCTC, which entered into force in 2005. The FCTC has as its main objective to establish a global agenda for tobacco regulation, with the purpose of reducing tobacco use. To date, 182 countries and the European Union are Parties to the FCTC. The treaty requires Parties to have in place various tobacco control measures and recommends others. The FCTC governing body, the Conference of the Parties (“CoP”), has also adopted non-binding guidelines and policy recommendations related to certain articles of the FCTC that go beyond the text of the treaty. In October 2018, the CoP recognized the need for more scientific assessment and improved reporting to define policy on heated tobacco products. Similar to its previous policy recommendations on e-cigarettes, the CoP invited countries to regulate, restrict or prohibit heated tobacco products, as appropriate under their national laws.
Prior to CoP 9 that took place in November 2021, the WHO and the WHO FCTC Secretariat published two reports on novel and emerging tobacco products. The reports were noted by CoP 9 and related substantive discussions and decisions were deferred to CoP 10, currently scheduled for 2023. It is not possible to predict whether or to what extent measures recommended by the WHO's reports will be implemented as the reports are not binding to the WHO Member States.
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We believe that when better alternatives to cigarettes exist, the discussion should not be whether these alternatives should be made available to the more than one billion people who smoke today, but how fast, and within what regulatory framework to maximize their adoption while minimizing unintended use. Therefore, we advocate for regulatory frameworks that are based on a continuum of risk where non-combustible products fall below combustible cigarettes. Product regulation should include measures that encourage and accelerate switching to non-combustible products, for example, by allowing adult consumers who would not otherwise quit to receive truthful and non-misleading information about such products to enable them to make informed decisions and by applying uniform product standards to enable manufacturers to demonstrate the reduction in harmful and potentially harmful constituents, as well as the absence of combustion. Regulation should also include specific rules for ingredients, labeling and consumer communication, and should ensure that the public is informed about the health risks of all combustible and non-combustible tobacco and nicotine-containing products. Importantly, regulation must include measures designed to prevent initiation by youth and non-smokers. We support mandated health warnings, minimum age laws, restrictions on advertising, and public place smoking restrictions. We also support regulatory measures that help reduce illicit trade.
Certain measures are discussed in more detail below and in the Reduced-Risk Products (RRPs) section.
Fiscal Challenges: Excessive and disruptive excise, sales and other tax increases and discriminatory tax structures are expected to continue to have an adverse impact on our profitability, due to lower consumption and consumer down-trading to non-premium, discount, other low-price or low-taxed combustible tobacco products such as fine cut tobacco and illicit cigarettes. In addition, in certain jurisdictions, some of our combustible tobacco products are subject to tax structures that discriminate against premium-price products and manufactured cigarettes. We believe that such tax policies undermine public health by encouraging consumers to turn to illicit trade, and ultimately undercut government revenue objectives, disrupt the competitive environment, and encourage criminal activity. Other jurisdictions have imposed, or are seeking to impose, levies or other taxes specifically on tobacco companies, such as taxes on revenues and/or profits.
World Customs Organization Developments: In 2020, the World Customs Organization (the “WCO”) amended the harmonized system nomenclature to introduce dedicated custom codes for novel tobacco and nicotine products, including heated tobacco products, e-cigarettes and other nicotine-containing products. The amendments became effective as of January 1, 2022. These amendments are not expected to significantly impact current customs duty rates. As of December 2022, and out of 160 contracting parties to the WCO’s Harmonized System Convention, 94 contracting parties, including the EU, U.S., have notified the WCO that they have implemented the 2022 edition of the Harmonized System creating new dedicated customs codes for novel tobacco and nicotine products.
EU Tobacco Products Directive: In April 2014, the EU adopted a significantly revised TPD, which entered into force in May 2016. All member states have adopted laws transposing the TPD. The TPD sets forth a comprehensive set of regulatory requirements for tobacco products, including:
•health warnings covering 65% of the front and back panels of cigarette packs, with an option for member states to further standardize tobacco packaging, including the introduction of plain packaging;
•a ban on characterizing flavors in some tobacco products, with a transition period for menthol that expired in May 2020;
•security features and tracking and tracing measures that became effective in May 2019; and
•a framework for the regulation of novel tobacco products and e-cigarettes, including requirements for health warnings and information leaflets, a prohibition on product packaging text related to reduced risk, and the introduction of notification requirements or authorization procedures in advance of commercialization.
In May 2021, the European Commission published its first report on the application of the TPD. The report identifies significant progress made due to the implementation of the TPD and where there is still room for improvement. Most notably, it finds that the EU legislation has enhanced tobacco control, contributed to protecting the health of EU citizens by providing Member States with strong rules to address the use of tobacco products in the EU. The TPD reportedly achieved the 2% reduction target of the impact assessment with decreased smoking prevalence among youth. The report also concludes that there is scope for improvement in certain areas, such as enforcement at national level, assessment of ingredients, and a better consideration for novel and emerging products.
In November 2021, the European Commission published the implementation roadmap to Europe's Beating Cancer Plan (the "Plan"). According to the Plan, a revision of the TPD is planned for 2024.
EU Tobacco Excise Directive ("TED"): The EU Commission is preparing a legislative proposal for the revision of the 2011 EU Tobacco Excise Directive that may include definitions and tax treatment for novel tobacco and nicotine-containing products, including heated tobacco products, e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches. The proposal, after several delays, is now expected to be published during
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the first half of 2023 and adopted by the EU Council in the course of 2024. Any final amendments to TED require unanimous agreement by all EU member states, followed by transposition of TED into national legislation. The earliest potential effective date for any changes to TED, after the transposition period, is 2025.
Plain Packaging and Other Packaging Restrictions: Plain packaging legislation bans the use of branding, logos and colors on packaging other than the brand name and variant that may be printed only in specified locations and in a uniform font. To date, plain packaging laws have been adopted in certain markets in all of our operating segments, including the key markets of Australia, France, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Some countries, such as Canada, Denmark and Israel adopted plain packaging regulations that apply to all tobacco products, including RRPs. Other countries are also considering plain packaging legislation.
Some countries have adopted, or are considering adopting, packaging restrictions that could have an impact similar to plain packaging. Examples of such restrictions include standardizing the shape and size of packages, prohibiting certain colors or the use of certain descriptive phrases on packaging, and requiring very large graphic health warnings that leave little space for branding.
Restrictions and Bans on the Use of Ingredients: The WHO and others in the public health community have recommended restrictions or total bans on the use of some or all ingredients in tobacco products, including menthol. Broad restrictions and ingredient bans would require us to reformulate our American blend tobacco products and could reduce our ability to differentiate these products in the market in the long term. In many countries, menthol bans would eliminate the entire category of mentholated tobacco products. The European Union banned cigarettes and roll-your-own tobacco products with characterizing flavors. Other tobacco products, including heated tobacco products, are currently exempted from this characterizing flavor ban. However, on November 23, 2022, the European Union Commission published a delegated directive that will end this exemption. All EU Member States are required to apply the delegated directive as of October 23, 2023, and ban the use of characterizing flavors in heated tobacco products in the European Union, impacting a significant proportion of our RRP products currently sold in the European Union. While we cannot predict the ultimate impact on our business from this ban, consumer switching to non-flavored products was high in reaction to past bans on flavors in other categories and markets. We therefore believe any impact will be manageable, with consumers switching to non-flavored products partially mitigating the effect of the ban. We will actively monitor relevant developments in the European Union market. Other countries may follow the EU’s approach toward tobacco product ingredients. Turkey banned menthol as of May 2020. Broader ingredient bans have been adopted by Brazil and Canada.
Bans on Display of Tobacco Products at Retail: In a number of our markets, including, but not limited to, Australia and Russia, governments have banned the display of tobacco products at the point of sale. Other countries are considering similar bans.
Bans and Restrictions on Advertising, Marketing, Promotions and Sponsorships: For many years, the FCTC has called for, and countries have imposed, partial or total bans on tobacco advertising, marketing, promotions and sponsorships, including bans and restrictions on advertising on radio and television, in print and on the Internet. The FCTC's non-binding guidelines recommend that governments prohibit all forms of communication with adult smokers.
Restrictions on Product Design: Some members of the public health community are calling for the further standardization of tobacco products by requiring, for example, that cigarettes have a certain minimum diameter, which would amount to a ban on slim cigarettes, or requiring the use of standardized filter and cigarette paper designs. In addition, at its meeting in November 2016, the CoP adopted non-binding guidelines recommending that countries regulate product design features that increase the attractiveness of tobacco products, such as the diameter of cigarettes and the use of flavor capsules.
Restrictions on Public Smoking and Use of Nicotine-Containing Products in Public: The pace and scope of restrictions on the use of our products have increased significantly in most of our markets. Many countries around the world have adopted, or are likely to adopt, regulations that restrict or ban smoking and use of nicotine-containing products in public and/or work places, restaurants, bars and nightclubs. Some public health groups have called for, and some countries, regional governments and municipalities have adopted or proposed, bans on smoking in outdoor places, as well as bans on smoking in cars (typically, when minors are present) and private homes.
Other Regulatory Issues: Some regulators are considering, or in some cases have adopted, regulatory measures designed to reduce the supply of tobacco products. These include regulations intended to reduce the number of retailers selling tobacco products by, for example, reducing the overall number of tobacco retail licenses available or banning the sale of tobacco products within specified distances of certain public facilities. Other regulators are also considering generation sales bans, under which the sale of certain tobacco or nicotine products to people born after a certain year would be prohibited. On December 13, 2022 the New Zealand parliament passed a bill introducing regulatory measures restricting the sale and supply of smoked tobacco products, including reducing the number of retail outlets licensed to sell smoked tobacco products, imposing a maximum limit of nicotine content for smoked tobacco products and prohibiting the sale of smoked tobacco products to anyone born on or after January 1, 2009. These measures are limited to smoked tobacco products and do not apply to heated tobacco products and e-cigarettes. In Mexico, a new law
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came into force on December 12, 2022 prohibiting imports and exports of certain nicotine and non-nicotine delivery and consumption systems, as well as the consumables used in those systems, including much of our RRP portfolio. On December 16, 2022, the Federal Government enacted an implementation regulation for the tobacco control law, which includes (i) a point of sale display ban of tobacco products; (ii) restrictions on where tobacco products can be consumed, and (iii) prohibition to communicate corporate social responsibility programs funded by the tobacco industry.
On January 1, 2023 a law regulating the marketing of nicotine pouches went into effect in Slovakia. The regulatory framework contains a minimum purchase legal age (18 years), a nicotine limit, and a labelling requirement. On December 6, 2022 the Dutch Government published a draft bill to ban the placing on the market of nicotine pouches in the Netherlands. On December 16, 2022 a notification period to the EU Commission expired for a Belgian Royal Decree to ban nicotine pouches. Based on this decree the Belgian Government could ban the placing on the market of nicotine pouches in Belgium.
In a limited number of markets, most notably Japan, we are dependent on governmental approvals that may limit our pricing flexibility.
The EU Single-Use Plastics Directive, which will require tobacco manufacturers and importers to cover the costs of public collection systems for tobacco product filters, under Extended Producer Responsibility ("EPR") schemes, entered into force on July 2, 2019. To date, some member states transposed the Directive into national legislation. We expect remaining member states to transpose the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive into national legislation including EPR schemes by January 2023. While we cannot predict the impact of this initiative on our business at this time, we are monitoring developments in this area.
In some countries, including in the EU, cigarettes are subject to testing, disclosure and mandatory emissions limits for tar, nicotine, carbon monoxide and other smoke constituents. In the Netherlands, several public health organizations have requested that the Dutch enforcement body enforce the requirements for maximum tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide ("TNCO") emissions levels for cigarettes using a test method other than the method currently set forth in the EU TPD and transposed into national legislation. This request followed publication of a report by the Dutch State Institute for Public Health & Environment, which found that all cigarette brands sold in the Netherlands exceeded the maximum TNCO levels when measured under an alternative method. While the Dutch enforcement body declined the request, the applicants have challenged that decision in pending legal proceedings in the Netherlands. While we are not parties to the proceeding and cannot predict the outcome, a decision to enforce the existing TNCO ceilings in the Netherlands using an alternative test method could impact a significant portion of the manufactured cigarettes available on the market in the Netherlands and could lead to similar actions in other EU countries.
Illicit Trade: Illicit tobacco trade creates a cheap and unregulated supply of tobacco products, undermines efforts to reduce smoking prevalence, especially among youth, damages legitimate businesses and intellectual property rights, stimulates organized crime, increases corruption and reduces government tax revenue. We generally estimate that, excluding China and the U.S., illicit trade may account for as much as 12% of global cigarette consumption; this includes counterfeit, contraband and the persistent problem of "illicit whites," which are cigarettes legally purchased in one jurisdiction for the sole purpose of being exported and illegally sold in another jurisdiction where they have no legitimate market. Currently, we estimate that illicit trade in the European Union accounted for approximately 8% of total cigarette consumption in 2022.
A number of jurisdictions are considering actions to prevent illicit trade. In November 2012, the FCTC adopted the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products (the “Protocol”), which includes supply chain control measures, such as licensing of manufacturers and distributors, enforcement of these control measures in free trade zones, controls on duty free and Internet channels and the implementation of tracking and tracing technologies. To date, 66 Parties, including the European Union, have ratified it. The Protocol came into force in September 2018. Parties must start implementing its provisions in their national legislation. In November 2021, the second Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol decided, among others, to focus on the implementation of a framework for global information sharing to combat illicit tobacco trade and enable the parties to exchange products' tracking and tracing information in a secure manner. We welcome this decision and expect that other Parties will ratify the Protocol.
We devote substantial resources to help prevent illicit trade in combustible tobacco products and RRPs. For example, we engage with governments, our business partners and other stakeholders to implement effective measures to combat illicit trade and, in some instances, pursue legal remedies to protect our intellectual property rights.
The tracking and tracing regulations for cigarettes and roll-your-own products manufactured or destined for the EU became effective on May 20, 2019. The effective date for other tobacco-containing products, including some of our RRPs such as heated tobacco units, is May 20, 2024. While we expect that this regulation will increase our operating expenses, we do not expect this increase to be significant.
In 2009, our Colombian subsidiaries entered into an Investment and Cooperation Agreement with the national and regional governments of Colombia to promote investment in, and cooperation on, anti-contraband and anti-counterfeit efforts. The agreement
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provides $200 million in funding over a 20-year period to address issues such as combating illegal cigarette trade and increasing the quality and quantity of locally-grown tobacco.
In May 2016, PMI launched PMI IMPACT, a global initiative that supports third-party projects dedicated to fighting illegal trade and related crimes such as corruption, organized criminal networks and money laundering. The centerpiece of PMI IMPACT is a council of external independent experts in the fields of law, anti-corruption and law enforcement. The experts are responsible for evaluating and approving funding proposals for PMI IMPACT grants. PMI has pledged $100 million to fund projects within PMI IMPACT over three funding rounds.
Reduced-Risk Products (RRPs)
Our Approach to RRPs:We recognize that smoking cigarettes causes serious diseases and that the best way to avoid the harms of smoking is never to start or to quit. Nevertheless, it is predicted that by 2025, the number of smokers will remain largely unchanged from the current estimate of 1.1 billion, despite the considerable efforts to discourage smoking.
Cigarettes burn tobacco, which produces smoke. As a result of the combustion process, the smoker inhales various toxic substances. In contrast, RRPs do not burn tobacco and therefore contain significantly lower levels of harmful and potentially harmful constituents ("HPHCs") than found in cigarette smoke.
For adult smokers who would otherwise continue to smoke, we believe that RRPs, while not risk-free, offer a much better consumer choice. Accordingly, our key strategic priorities are to: (i) to develop and commercialize products that present less risk of harm to adult smokers who switch to those products versus continued smoking; and (ii) educate and encourage current adult smokers who would otherwise continue to smoke to switch to those products.
We recognize that this transformation from cigarettes to RRPs will take time and that the speed of transformation will depend in part upon factors beyond our control, such as the willingness of governments, regulators and other policy groups to embrace RRPs as a desired alternative to continued cigarette smoking. For as long as a significant number of adult smokers continues to smoke, responsible leadership of the category is critical. We aim to maintain our competitive position in the cigarette market through selective investment. As a leading international cigarette manufacturer, we will continue to accelerate this transformation by using our regulatory and commercial expertise and extensive commercial and distribution infrastructure as an effective platform for the commercialization of our RRPs and communication with adult smokers and trade partners about the benefits of switching to our RRPs.
While seeking to remain competitive in the cigarette market, we are judiciously reallocating resources from cigarettes to RRPs and are streamlining our cigarette portfolio.
We have a range of RRPs in various stages of development, scientific assessment and commercialization. We conduct rigorous scientific assessments of our RRP platforms to substantiate that they reduce exposure to HPHCs and, ultimately, that these products present, are likely to present, or have the potential to present less risk of harm to adult smokers who switch to them versus continued smoking. We draw upon a team of expert scientists and engineers from a broad spectrum of scientific disciplines and our extensive learnings of adult consumer preferences to develop and assess our RRPs. Our efforts are guided by the following key objectives:
•to develop RRPs that adult smokers who would otherwise continue to smoke find to be satisfying alternatives to smoking;
•for those adult smokers, our goal is to offer RRPs with a scientifically substantiated risk-reduction profile that approaches as closely as possible that associated with smoking cessation;
•to substantiate the reduction of risk for the individual adult smoker and the reduction of harm to the population as a whole, based on scientific evidence of the highest standard that is made available for scrutiny and review by external independent scientists and relevant regulatory bodies; and
•to advocate for the development of science-based regulatory frameworks for the development and commercialization of RRPs, including the communication of scientifically substantiated information to enable adult smokers to make better consumer choices.
Our RRP Platforms:Our product development is based on the elimination of combustion via tobacco heating and other innovative systems, which we believe are the most promising path to providing a better consumer choice for those who would otherwise continue to smoke. We recognize that no single product will appeal to all adult smokers. Therefore, we are developing a portfolio of products intended to appeal to a variety of distinct adult consumer preferences.
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Five PMI-developed or improved RRP platforms are in various stages of development and commercialization readiness:
Platform 1 uses a precisely controlled heating device incorporating our IQOS HeatControl technology, into which a specially designed and proprietary tobacco unit is inserted and heated to generate an aerosol. We have conducted a series of clinical studies for this platform, the results of which were included in our submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”). In addition to the original version of Platform 1 which relies on a heating technology using a blade, a new version of Platform 1 is now available using induction instead of heating a blade. All studies referenced above were conducted with the blade version of Platform 1. We believe that there is full comparability between the subsequent Platform 1 versions, and therefore the data from these studies remain valid. In 2022, we also began the initial launch of a heated tobacco product using external resistive heating technology and commercialized under the BONDS brand.
Platform 2 used a pressed carbon heat source which, when ignited, generates a nicotine-containing aerosol by heating tobacco. As a result of consumer testing feedback, the design of our current Platform 2 technology has been discontinued. We are assessing alternative designs for this consumer segment.
Platform 3 is a product using nicotine salt that is composed of two parts: a consumable that contains a highly soluble encapsulated nicotine powder and a non-electric device that activates it. Once a consumable is inserted into the mechanical device, the nicotine powder is aerosolized and inhaled. The results of our pharmacokinetic study related to this version indicate this product's potential as an acceptable alternative to continued cigarette smoking in terms of product satisfaction. We are working on product modifications to enable switching by those adult smokers who are looking for better alternatives to cigarettes.
Platform 4 covers e-vapor products, which are battery-powered devices that produce an aerosol by vaporizing a tobacco-free liquid solution.
Recently, we developed a new e-liquid for our e-vapor mesh technology to deliver real tobacco taste satisfaction in an E-Vapor product liquid-using patented technology, where flavors and nicotine are extracted directly from the tobacco leaves and captured in a liquid solution, without having to add flavoring ingredients.
We also entered into a licensing agreement with Kaival Brands International, LLC in June 2022 to distribute an e-vapor product, known in the U.S. as the BIDI® Stick. The agreement grants PMI certain intellectual property rights relating to the premium e-vapor device and, potentially, other newly developed devices, to permit PMI to manufacture, promote, sell, and distribute the e-vapor device and, to the extent included, other newly developed devices in international markets outside of the U.S. We have begun commercializing an improved version of the BIDI® Stick under the brand VEEV now in Canada, U.K., Serbia and Ukraine.
Platform 5 covers Snus and Modern Oral Nicotine Pouches. Snus refers to dried loose tobacco, or snuff, which is consumed by sniffing the product through the nose, moist loose tobacco which is put in the mouth between the lower or upper lip and gum, and Snus pouches which contain grinded tobacco, water, salt and flavors. Modern Oral Nicotine Pouches consist of white pre-conditioned pouches containing nicotine derived from tobacco. Users place a pouch between the upper lip and gum and leave it there while the nicotine and taste are being released. At the end of the use, the user can dispose of the pouch. Nicotine pouches are inherently smoke-free as they are consumed orally, and no combustion process occurs during use. They contain primarily nicotine, flavors, and a cellulose substrate. The nicotine used in the pouches is of pharmaceutical-grade like the nicotine used in medicinal products, such as gums and inhalers, while the flavors are approved for use in food in accordance with the product quality standards for nicotine pouches developed by the Swedish Institute for Standards. In 2021, PMI acquired AG Snus as well as Fertin Pharma, two companies manufacturing and/or marketing nicotine pouches. In 2022, we significantly expanded our Platform 5 products portfolio with the acquisition of Swedish Match. The acquisition also represented an expansion of our RRP presence in the United States market, where Swedish Match's ZYN brand is the leading nicotine pouch franchise.
We aim to expand our brand portfolio and market positions with additional RRPs. In addition, we are continuing to use our expertise, technology and capabilities to explore new growth opportunities beyond our current business, including products that do not contain nicotine or tobacco.