Responsible Trade

Tobacco harms health, and nicotine is addictive. Health authorities, including the World Health Organization, advise that smoking tobacco through a waterpipe is not a safe alternative to smoking cigarettes. A business that supplies shisha tobacco is therefore in a position that carries responsibilities: to supply lawfully, to know its customers, to avoid misleading claims and to avoid contributing to illicit trade or to sales to people who should not be sold tobacco. This page sets out how Global Shisha Tobacco approaches that, in practice, in terms that a buyer can check against our behaviour.

It is not a marketing statement. The commitments below are the ones we can stand behind, and they describe what a buyer can expect when it deals with us. They also describe what we expect of buyers, because responsible supply depends on responsible buying. For the product background see shisha tobacco, and for the rules in specific markets see regulatory compliance and our country guides.

Our position in one paragraph

We supply commercial buyers only, we ask about licences and destinations before we quote, we decline enquiries from consumers and from destinations where commercial import is prohibited, we make no health claims, we expect retail packs to carry the warnings, age limits and tax markings that the destination requires, and we encourage buyers to buy and sell only through lawful, documented channels.

Before we quote, we ask which country the goods are going to and what licence or registration the buyer holds. We check what the destination requires for waterpipe tobacco, and we tell the buyer early if we cannot supply the market. Some jurisdictions prohibit or restrict commercial import of tobacco, and we do not supply where the buyer cannot show the authorisation the market requires.

Why it matters. A shipment to a buyer without authority risks seizure and penalties, and it undermines the lawful trade.

We build the destination's packaging requirements into the specification: pack size, warnings, language, plain packaging and stamps. We prepare export documents that describe the goods accurately and consistently. We do not alter or remove required markings, and we do not help conceal the nature, origin or value of goods.

Why it matters. Accurate packaging and documents support tax collection, enforcement and consumer information.

We answer buyer questions honestly, including "we cannot supply that", "we cannot provide that evidence" and "your market's rules do not permit that". We do not publish figures, certificates or claims on this site that we cannot document, and we correct errors when we find them.

Why it matters. Trade rests on trust, and trust rests on accuracy.

Age limits for buying and using tobacco exist in nearly every country, and the age differs. Retail packs, lounges and shops carry the front-line duty to check age. As a trade supplier, we do not deal with consumers, but we expect our customers to apply age checks and to keep tobacco away from children. Good practice in venues includes checking identification, refusing service where age is doubtful, displaying required notices and training staff.

Tobacco advertising and promotion are restricted or banned in many markets. As a trade supplier we direct our communications to businesses. We expect buyers to follow the advertising rules in their country, including limits on promotion, sponsorship, free samples, price promotions and display. We do not provide consumer-facing promotional material.

We expect all parties to deal honestly. We do not offer or accept bribes, facilitation payments or improper advantages, and we expect our partners, brokers and agents to act likewise. If a buyer is asked for an unofficial payment by an official or a third party in connection with an order, it should refuse and tell us.

We handle the information that buyers share in enquiries with care, and use it to respond to the enquiry. See the privacy policy for how personal data submitted through this website is handled.

Responsible trade does not mean that tobacco is safe, that regulation is optional or that a supplier can transfer all responsibility to a buyer. It also does not mean that every market can be supplied. It means that within the law, a business behaves honestly, protects the integrity of the supply chain and takes care not to contribute to harm that could reasonably be avoided.

• Regulatory compliance: how rules differ and how to build a compliance routine.
• Country guides: sourced summaries for specific markets.
• About: how we work and what we supply.
• Quality and specifications: the parameters we state and how to verify them.

If you want to buy from a supplier that works this way, request a quotation.

The scenarios below are examples of enquiries we may receive and how we handle them.

An individual asks to buy a few packs

We decline and direct the person to a licensed retailer in their own country. We supply commercial buyers only.

A buyer in a restricted market asks for a quotation

We check the destination. If commercial import is prohibited or the buyer cannot show the authorisation required, we decline and say why.

A buyer asks us to change the packaging to hide the product

We decline. Packaging must describe the goods accurately and carry the required markings.

A buyer asks for a lower invoice value

We decline. Documents must show the true value. Under-invoicing is customs fraud.

A buyer asks for plain, unmarked cartons to avoid inspection

We decline. Cartons carry marks that match the documents.

A buyer wants goods shipped to a different country from the one on the paperwork

We decline. The destination on the documents must be the real destination.

A buyer asks us to state that the product is healthier than cigarettes

We decline. We make no health claims.

A buyer wants to pay through a third party in another country

We ask why and for documents. Unexplained third-party payments are a compliance risk, and we may decline.

A buyer says its licence is "in process"

We can discuss the steps and prepare a quotation, but we do not ship until the buyer is authorised to import.

Be alert to any of the following.

• Orders far larger than the customer's business could plausibly sell.
• Requests to change the destination after the goods ship.
• Requests to remove or change markings, stamps or labels.
• Payments from parties unconnected to the order.
• Customers who avoid giving licence or business details.
• Pressure to ship quickly without proper documents.
• Offers of cash payment or discounts for avoiding paperwork.
• Goods offered at prices well below tax-inclusive market levels.

When you see a red flag, stop, ask questions and, if the answers are unsatisfactory, decline. Where the law requires, report to the authority.

Responsible practice is not static. Rules change, expectations rise and we learn from each order. We review our guides and our practices when regulations change, when buyers raise issues and when we see something that could be done better. We invite buyers to tell us when something on this site is out of date or unclear.

Responsible trade in shisha tobacco means supplying lawfully, knowing your customers, avoiding misleading claims, building compliance into the product and refusing business that would harm the lawful trade. Tobacco harms health, and nicotine is addictive. If you want to work with a supplier that behaves this way, request a quotation, and read about our approach on the about page.

• Regulatory compliance: how to build a compliance routine.
• Country guides: rules for specific markets.
• About: what we supply and how we work.
• Quality and specifications: how to verify what we say.
• Contact: to raise a concern or ask a question.

If you want to work with a supplier that behaves this way, request a quotation.

• We ask who the buyer is and what licence or registration they hold before a quotation is prepared.
• We decline enquiries from consumers and from destinations where commercial import is prohibited.
• We do not use health claims, and we do not present tobacco as harmless. Tobacco harms health and nicotine is addictive.
• We keep country guides dated and sourced so buyers can check rules for themselves.
• Retail packs for sale to the public must follow the age limits, warnings and packaging rules of the destination.

See the regulatory compliance page for how rules differ by country.