Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 7
By Fatih Karimov – Trend
Iran produced 23 billion cigarettes during the first seven months of the current fiscal year (March 20-Oct. 21), Yadollah Sadeghi, an official with Iran’s Industry, Mine, and Trade ministry, said.
The output of Iran’s 10 cigarette producing companies indicates a 53 percent increase compared to Iran's cigarettes production during the same period of the preceding year, Sadeghi said, the Iranian Industry, Mine, and Trade ministry’s SHATA news website reported Nov. 7.
Iran imported 3.25 billion cigarettes in the seven-month period, which is 60 percent less in comparison with March 20-Oct. 21, 2015, the official added.
He also said that about 5.75 billion cigarettes were smuggled into the country during the first seven months of the current fiscal year, which indicates a fall by 35 percent year-on-year.
About 55 billion cigarettes are smoked in the country annually.
The high price of Iranian-made cigarettes in comparison to the price of smuggled foreign brands has become a tough challenge for the Iranian Tobacco Company.
The Fars News Agency reported on September 2013 that smuggled cigarettes are much cheaper than domestic products on Iran's market.