Cigarette Output Up, Smuggling Down

EghtesadOnline: A total of 12.7 billion cigarettes were produced in Iran during the first quarter of the current fiscal year (started March 21), registering a 33.7% increase compared with the corresponding period of last year, the Persian daily Etemad reported, citing the Ministry of Industries, Mining and Trade's data.

News ID: ۷۴۸۰۹۷

06 August 2019

Cigarette exports were cut to zero in the three-month period whereas the country had exported 150 million cigarettes in the same quarter of last year.

The ban on imports remains in effect.

Nevertheless, cigarette smuggling declined by 49.3% year-on-year, according to Financial Tribune.

The ministry estimates that 16.2 billion cigarettes were consumed in Q1, indicating no change over last year’s similar period.

A report by Mizan Online based on figures released by the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration shows a total of 27,287 tons of tobacco worth more than $193.69 million were imported from 13 countries in the last Iranian year (March 2018-19).

Turkey was the biggest exporter with $107.73 million. Other main exporters of tobacco to Iran in the year to March 20, 2019, were Germany, Jordan, Brazil, Indonesia, Italy, the UAE, Thailand and Poland.