Reuters first to report Japan Tobacco plans to quadruple smokeless tobacco output by 2018

Reuters exclusively reported that Japan Tobacco Inc plans to spend $500 million to quadruple its smokeless tobacco production capacity by the end of 2018, as it races against bigger rival Philip Morris for a larger share of the Japanese vaping products market. While one of the Marlboro maker’s tobacco devices is already enjoying strong demand in Japan, Japan Tobacco’s launch of its own product has run into delays. But CEO Mitsuomi Koizumi told Reuters his company was aiming for the top share of Japan’s vaping market in three years.