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THOSE PASSIONATE FOR GREAT CIGARS, as well
as those who make those moments with a cigar possible,
know that the state of Florida is the foundation of this
nation’s cigar supply chain, being a principle point of
entry for cigars that make their way from the port of
Miami to Maine, Michigan, Montana and your local
shop. Now, with the comprehensive effort to mitigate
the threat of the federal regulation of cigars, Florida can
be (and has been) central to communicating the conse-
quences of these regulations to the federal government.
That process has begun.
On the congressional front, Florida members of the
U.S. House of Representatives, Bill Posey and Kathy
Castor, are taking the lead role for the call to a legisla-
tive resolution to protecting premium handmade cigars.
Meanwhile, their colleagues in the U.S. Senate, Bill Nel-
son and Marco Rubio, are advocating for the companion
bill in that chamber.
Over a dozen members of the U.S. House of Rep-
resentatives from Florida are co-sponsors of the legis-
lation. It is no accident that the cigar industry has this
support from the delegation. The members are simply
representing their constituency because the economic
footprint of the cigar industry spans from one end of the
state to the other.
Take these economic factors into consideration:
Impact of Regulation of Cigars
on the State of Florida
Corporate Headquarters:
Greater Miami, Fort Lau-
derdale, Tampa and Naples are the location of more
than 70 corporate headquarters for the premium
cigar industry.
Infrastructure:
The premium cigar industry uses
the ports of Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Tampa. In
addition, Miami, Tampa and Fort Lauderdale are the
base of operations for logistics and supply chain en-
terprises, such as bonded warehouses, trucking and
distribution operations.
Manufacturing:
Miami and Tampa are the base of
operations for boutique production of premium hand-
made cigars, including enterprises owned by women
and minorities that employ skilled artisans from the
Cuban American and Latino communities.
User Fees:
The new user fees imposed on the indus-
try by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will
take approximately $70 million out of the Florida econ-
omy and shift those dollars to the federal bureaucracy.
Agriculture:
Clermont is now the base of operations
for growing Criollo and Corojo tobacco to be produced
If you do
business
in Florida,
urge your
customers
to contact
members
of the state
legislature,
members of
Congress and
Gov. Scott.
CRA CORNER
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TOBACCO BUSINESS
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Florida,
the Courts
and a
New Dynamic
in Washington
BY J. GLYNN LOOPE
Senator Bill Nelson
Representative Bill Posey
Representative Kathy Castor