The tobacco industry is undergoing major changes, “including higher taxes, more regulation and a growing number of public-smoking bans that have made the social use of cigars more rare,” says recent story from the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Virginia. But one cigar industry executive is taking it all in stride.

“I think I would rather be a tobacco executive now than an automotive executive,” Lennart Freeman, Swedish Match International President, told the Times-Dispatch.

Even though federal taxes, smoking bans, and the recession have hampered sales of premium cigars over the past several months ⎯ the Times-Dispatch reports sales are down 17 percent ⎯ Freeman thinks the cigar market is poised for growth, especially when the economy recovers.

On the subject of the Cuban embargo, which has been much-buzzed about inside the beltway since President Obama took office, Freeman believes if the trade ban is lifted, one thing needs to happen.

“What we are telling Congress is − if you are about to lift the embargo, you need to ensure that we also will have access to Cuban tobacco in good time, so that we then can make Cuban cigars and compete with anybody else here in the marketplace,” Freeman told the Richmond paper.