Potential tax rise adds to Japan Tobacco woes
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04/08/2008
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Financial Times (London)
Japan Tobacco has already had its fair share of bad news this year.
But the world's third-largest cigarette company, with brands such as Camel and Benson and Hedges, is likely to face further turbulence in the months ahead.
The beleaguered JT began the year inauspiciously with a tainted food scare, which battered sales in its food division.
Then came the launch of "Taspo' last month, an age verification card that aims to crack down on under-age smoking but is also expected to be a significant factor behind a forecast 5 per cent fall in JT's cigarette sales.
More recently, the company has been hit by perhaps its biggest threat