TBO.com – April 13, 2016
It was the Cuba embargo that ended Tampa’s reign as cigar capital of the world. Without access to the fine tobacco grown on the island nation, every Tampa cigar factory except the J.C. Newman Cigar Co. closed down. Now the prospect of ending the embargo after five decades has raised hopes of saving the last vestige of that era. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is drafting a regulatory process to approve new cigars entering the U.S. market. Industry leaders, however, say the rules appear so strict that they would have to pull most stock from their shelves and that creating blends would prove too expensive. J.C. Newman said it might have to close. Read more from TBO.com.