In an email to staff, CEO K.C. Crosthwaite said units in its Europe, Middle East and Asia-Pacific regions are not bringing in enough revenue to justify continued investment. The company will make “a significant global reduction in force,” and plans to re-allocate funds to scientific research and developing new products. Juul spokesperson Lisa Hutniak said the company will not be exiting Canada, but declined to comment on whether it will reduce staff here. (The Wall Street Journal, The Logic)

Talking point: If Juul follows through, it’ll be leaving countries with some of the world’s highest rates of tobacco use—including Russia, Israel, Indonesia and the Philippines, after its expansion to China was quashed—to focus on those where it’s currently bringing in most of its revenue, but where fewer people smoke. Its market share in Canada is around 60 per cent, country president Michael Nederhoff told The Logic in July, citing Nielsen data; that’s down from 78 per cent in July 2019, before Juul stopped importing fruit-flavoured pods and marketing here. But Nederhoff said total cigarette and vaping product sales have increased during the pandemic.

This briefing has been updated with additional comment from Juul Labs Canada.