Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 28
By Fatih Karimov – Trend:
Iran produced 40.7 billion cigarettes during the first 11 months of the current fiscal year (March 20, 2016-Feb. 20), Ali Asghar Ramzi, head of Iran’s Center for Tobacco Planning and Supervision, said.
The output of Iran’s cigarette producing companies indicates a 50.2 percent increase compared to Iran's cigarettes production during the same period of the preceding year, Ramzi said, the Iranian Industry, Mine and Trade Ministry’s SHATA news website reported Feb. 28.
The Islamic Republic imported 3.9 billion cigarettes in the first 11 months of the current fiscal year, indicating a huge fall by 73 percent compared to the same period of the preceding year, Ramzi added.
He also said that about 5.8 billion cigarettes were smuggled into the country during the 11-month period, which indicates a fall by 35 percent year-on-year.
The Iranian administration seriously follows a plan to domestically produce foreign cigarette brands, in order to cut the imports.
About 55 billion cigarettes are smoked in Iran annually.