Burley (tobacco) - Sweetening

Sweetening

Burley contains little sugar, and has generally been cased (sweetened) with humectants, sugars, or other flavors for uses such as in American blend cigarettes. As a result, a broad ban enacted by Canada and proposed in many other countries would block the import of nearly all tobacco products containing burley. The situation resembles a dispute between Asian producers and the United States, which banned clove cigarettes. For each nation, banning components typical of tobacco manufactured abroad provides a powerful trade advantage, but may be prohibited by GATT trade agreements. The effect on American producers is limited, but not negligible, as most Canadian imports were already of flue-cured Virginia tobacco.