Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 6
By Fatih Karimov – Trend:
Iran imported 2.023 billion cigarettes during the first nine months of current fiscal year (March 20-Dec. 22, 2017), Ali Asghar Ramzi, head of Iran’s Center for Tobacco Planning and Supervision, said.
The figure indicates a fall by 39 percent year on year, Ramzi said, the official website of Iran’s industry ministry reported.
Iran’s 12 cigarette producing plants produced 35.02 billion cigarettes in the 9-month period, 10 percent more compared to the same months of the preceding year, the official added.
He further said that over 3.1 billion cigarettes were smuggled into Iran during the same time span based on estimates, adding that the illegal cigarette import has witnessed a 39-percent fall year-on-year.
About 55 billion cigarettes is smoked in the country annually.
Ramzi noted that over 90 percent of the cigarette smoked in the country will be supplied by domestic producers during the current fiscal year (to be ended March 2018).
The Iranian administration seriously follows a plan to domestically produce foreign cigarette brands, in order to cut down the imports.
In recent months, Iranian officials have repeatedly underscored that the administration increased domestic output of cigarettes, decreasing the dependency on imports. Meanwhile over 80 percent of the tobacco, used in Iran’s cigarette factories is supplied through imports.