That's hard to say, given that we don't the know the
content or purpose of the regulation you describe in your question. Cigarettes and
other tobacco products are already heavily regulated in the United States, in terms of
their manufacture and content, how they can be advertised and to whom, licensing
requirements to sell tobacco, and what age you have to be to buy them. The only way I
could see more regulation adding to a company such as Philip Morris' competitive
advantage would be if the products they currently have in the pipeline already comply
with the new regulations. In that case, the advantage would be short term, and I would
be fine with the regulations giving them that advantage, as long as those regulations
also better protected consumers and the public.
Also keep
in mind that most tobacco companies, American and otherwise, have a more reliable
customer base in Europe and Asia than in the US, where a much higher percentage of the
population smokes, and make the bulk of their profits elsewhere, where laws passed in
America do not apply.
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