Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 28
By Fatih Karimov– Trend:
Iran imported 1.1 billion cigarettes during the first five months of the current fiscal year (March 20-Aug. 21), Ali Asghar Ramzi, head of Iran’s Center for Tobacco Planning and Supervision, said.
The figure indicates a fall by 58 percent compared to Iran’s cigarette imports during the same period of the preceding year, Ramzi said, the Iranian Industry, Mine and Trade Ministry’s SHATA news website reported Aug. 28.
The Islamic Republic’s cigarette exports also registered a rise by 13 percent, Ramzi said, without unveiling the number of exported cigarettes in the 5-month period.
Iran produced 11 billion cigarettes during the first quarter of current fiscal year (March 20-June 21), 60 percent more year-on-year.
The Iranian administration seriously follows a plan to domestically produce foreign cigarette brands, in order to cut the imports.
Iran produced 45 billion cigarettes during the last Iranian fiscal year (ended March 20), 15 billion more year-on-year. This is while in the current fiscal year (to end March 20, 2018) it is planned to produce 50 billion cigarettes.
About 55 billion cigarettes are smoked in Iran annually. Domestic output met 82 percent of Iran’s cigarette consumption during the last fiscal year.