Trump administration withdraws FDA plan to ban menthol cigarettes

"It is deeply disappointing that a final rule was not issued in a timely manner ... it is more critical than ever that states and cities step up their efforts to end the sale of menthol cigarettes and other flavored tobacco products," said Yolonda Richardson, CEO of Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

The FDA sent their final version of the regulation to the White House's Office of Management and Budget in October 2023, which then awaited a sign off from the Biden administration.

The White House, however, agreed to hold dozens of meetings with groups opposing the rule, including civil rights advocates, business owners and law enforcement officials, with the government missing deadlines in December 2023 and March 2024 to issue a final rule on the ban.

A ban would have likely cost billions of dollars in annual revenue for cigarette companies such as Altria (MO.N), opens new tab and British American Tobacco (BATS.L), opens new tab.

"A menthol ban would fuel yet another extensive illicit market for unregulated and potentially more dangerous products in the U.S., similar to the thriving illicit market of disposable vapor products that FDA has struggled to enforce," said Reynolds American, BATS' U.S. subsidiary in an emailed statement.

Altria declined to comment, while the FDA pointed to a temporary pause in public communications due to the transition to a new team.