Baku, Azerbaijan, March 3
By Gazenfer Hamidov – Trend:
Iran has increased cigarette output and export, according to Ali Asghar Ramzi, head of Iran’s Center for Tobacco Planning and Supervision.
Iran exported 340 million cigarettes during the first 11 months of current fiscal year (March 20, 2017- Feb. 20, 2018), Ramzi said, the official website of Iran’s Industry Ministry reported.
The country's cigarette exports witnessed a rise by 127 percent year-on-year, Ramzi said.
Iran’s 17 cigarette plants produced over 43.72 billion cigarettes in the period, 8 percent more compared to the same months of the preceding year, the official added.
Iran imported 2.78 billion cigarettes during the 11-month period, 28 percent less year-on-year, Ramzi said.
According to the official, over 4.25 billion cigarettes were smuggled into Iran during the period.
The illegal cigarette import has witnessed a 29-percent fall year-on-year, he said.
Iran is moving towards zero cigarette imports, Ramzi said, adding that three Iranian companies give 83 percent of the domestic cigarette output.
About 55 billion cigarettes are smoked in Iran annually. The country’s cigarette output is planned to reach 50 billion by the end of the current fiscal year (March 2018).
Over 90 percent of the cigarette smoked in the country is planned to be supplied by domestic producers during the current fiscal year.
The Iranian administration seriously follows a plan to domestically produce foreign cigarette brands in order to cut down their 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.