From: The Telegraph
By Keith Perry, and John Bingham
Cuba has accused Britain of being anti-capitalist and threatening free trade with its plans introduce plain packaging on cigarettes and cigars.
The Communist country has complained to the World Trade Organisation over the UK Government plans to ban branding on smoking products to try and encourage people to give up the addictive habit.
This came as Tory MP Priti Patel wrote in the Asian Trader arguing that uncertainty surrounding the regulations and timescale is “causing considerable anxiety to newsagents and independent retailers”.
Cuba said it recognized Britain’s “sovereign right to apply measures aimed at protecting the health of its people while recognising that tobacco is a “harmful but lawful product in international trade”.
But it said plain packaging would lead to an increase in counterfeit cigarettes by preventing manufacturers displaying their products’ distinctive trademarks and would also increase health risks to people smoking black market cigarettes containing unknown substances.
