The Dutch distributor of Cuban cigars has sued its country’s government over an upcoming change in packaging restrictions.
On July 1, cigar boxes in the Netherlands will be subject to new restrictions that require neutral packaging, specifically limiting the use of metallic foils and embossing. Cubacigar Benelux N.V. says the new rules will cause severe damage to its business, as Habanos S.A. will not create new packaging just for the region. This means that the Cuban cigar conglomerate will ship the cigars in prohibited packaging to the distributor’s headquarters in Overijse, Belgium, where the distributor would have to throw out the existing packaging and replace it with compliant packaging.
In an interview with De Telegraaf, the company said that it is particularly concerned about the sales of limited edition cigars, which account for 25 percent of its revenue and 40 percent of the revenue of the country’s La Casa del Habano stores.
Cubacigar Benelux N.V. is the distributor of Cuban cigars in Belgium, Luxembourg and The Netherlands.