Courts Legally Binding Judgment: Offically no Tobacco License to Elite Trading Scandinavia AB

The Gothenburg Court of Appeal dismissed Elite Trading's appeal on the 11th of this month, following a request to withdraw the case made by Elite Trading Scandinavia's liquidator, who cited that a tobacco license is no longer needed since the company is going into liquidation. The Gothenburg Court of Appeal confirmed to Cigarrvärlden that the dismissal became legally binding on September 11th and is not subject to appeal.

Cigarrvärlden was previously the first to establish a documented link between Chen Zhi and the Cuban tobacco monopoly—and thus also the Swedish subsidiary Habanos Nordic, now known as Elite Trading Scandinavia—in several prior investigations. Shortly after Cigarrvärlden’s investigation, Chen Zhi was indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice (D.O.J.). On December 15, 2025, the City of Gothenburg revoked Elite Trading Scandinavia's tobacco license due to its ties to Chen Zhi. The revocation was appealed to the Administrative Court in Gothenburg, which handed down its judgment on June 10 this year. The Administrative Court sided with the municipality and dismissed the appeal.

In short, The Administrative Court ruled that Elite Trading Scandinavia is unfit for a tobacco license because it failed to prove it severed ties with shareholder Chen Zhi, an indicted global fraud suspect whose required suitability assessment could not be completed without documentation that was never provided.

What does this mean for the future?

Any cigars held in stock are hence illegal to sell as of September 11th. On a grand scheme of things, this could prove challenging for other Habanos dealers in Europe who are facing disruptions because of the conglomerate's connection to Chen Zhi and the EU sanctions that came into place on July 30th.

The real challenge is that a European court, not just a municipality, has come to the conclusion that Chen Zhi holds a large enough stake in the conglomerate to be deemed to have influence, and that he is unfit. This is no longer merely an opinion or a decision made by a civil servant, but a matter of law.

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Published: 15:01 Writer: AI. 

Read more about Cigarrvärldens coverage on Cuba & Habanos:

12 September 2025 - Cuban Cigars And Their Asian Partners – Slave Trade, Fraud And Money Laundering. Under The Nose Of The Regulatory Agency In Gothenburg, Sweden.

25 October 2025 - DOJ Tightens Noose On Owner Behind Cuban Cigar Giant

26 October 2025 - Prince Groups latest rebuttal published in full

4 November 2025 - Swedish Habanos Importer gets Reprieve to present Chen Zhi's Cambodian tax and criminal records

9 November 2025 - Klarna blacklists Cuba and freezes payments to Swedish cigar dealers?

12 December 2025 - Chen Zhi to be removed from Habanos

7 January 2026 - Breaking News: Habanos Swedens tobacco license revoked

12 January 2026 - Analysis: What are the future prospects for Chen Zhi, Habanos in Sweden & globally?

2 June 2026: The International Crackdown on Habanos: Swedish Distributor Faces Independent Turmoil

5 June 2026 - Cuban Cigars Facing Potential EU Ban Amid Forced Labor Reports

15 June 2026 - BREAKING NEWS: The Courts Verdict - no Swedish tobacco license for HABANOS

4 August 2026 - BREAKING NEWS: EU Sanctions Against Chen Zhi and Prince Group

6 August 2026 - The Consequences of EU Sanctions Against Chen Zhi for Sweden in Particular and the EU in General

12 August 2026 - Habanos' Proximity to Sanctioned Entities and the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR)

13 August 2026 - BREAKING NEWS: Habanos Sweden Formally Applies for Liquidation

20 August 2026 - Analysis Brief: Potential Sanctions for European Companies within the Habanos network

6 September 2026 - Habanos uses national orchestra´s name as cover for illicit revenue generation

7 September 2026 - BREAKING NEWS: Habanos Germany halts operations due to EU sanctions against Chen Zhi

11 September 2026 - BREAKING NEWS: Habanos Germany enters bankcrupsy proceedings

We use AI and Google Translate for translations, with some review to enhance readability. Pardon the Spanglish.

Disclaimer: Cigarrvärlden is owned and operated by Cigarrklubben CK Sverige AB, which also operates a cigar club and has a foot in both camps. To put it mildly. Divison and separation of operations and the editorial is explained under the section "Conflicts of Interest (in Swedish)". Cigarrvärlden operates under a ‘certificate of no legal impediment to publication conferring constitutional protection’ (utgivningsbevis). With this certificate, Cigarrvärlden enjoys a special legal status in Swedish law under the freedom of expression act. Cigarrklubben CK Sverige AB does not sell and have ever sold cigars or tobacco in any way, shape or form.