Typical sales channel BS. Gawith has decided to change distributors. Nothing has been sent back by customs. To the contrary, the current distributor dumped everything at once when they were told about the change last week. A formal announcement will be made when the parties see fit to do it. With a very few exceptions on the GH side, all FDA filings have been done. The paperwork remaining is ahead of schedule.
There was an interview posted on the Pipes Magazine main page last fall with Chris Gawith. Yes, they now sell more tobacco in China than the US. If you read that interview, he rather clearly says that he would like for that to change. He can produce the product subject to normal lead times.
When he consolidated the two lines with Kretek (Phillips and King is a subsidiary of Kretek) Eric Stokkebye was in charge of things on the pipe side. Shortly after that announcement was made, ES got canned and a number of reps who called on accounts were let go.
Some in the business will be unhappy with the changes, some won’t, but the company wants to sell more tobacco in the US market. I hope the coming changes will be successful in that regard. The company would not have made them if they didn’t have the same expectations.