Bill Would Sanction Illegal Tobacco Traders

A Senate bill would authorize sanctions on foreign persons, including government officials, responsible for illegally trading tobacco products. The bill, introduced June 25 and titled the “Combating the Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products Act,” would freeze assets and block funds of sanctioned people under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The bill would also impose travel bans. The bill states that the "illicit trade in tobacco products or their precursors is a multibillion dollar business that fuels organized crime, fosters public corruption, undermines public health goals, and finances terrorist groups that threaten global security and stability."