Baku, Azerbaijan, July 4
By Fatih Karimov– Trend:
Iran produced 11 billion cigarettes during the first 3 months of the current fiscal year (March 20-June 21), Ali Asghar Ramzi, head of Iran’s Center for Tobacco Planning and Supervision, said.
The output of Iran’s 12 cigarette producing companies indicates a 60 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 July 4.
The Islamic Republic imported 700 million cigarettes in the first 3 months of the current fiscal year, indicating a fall by 75 percent compared to the same period of the preceding year, Ramzi added.
In the current fiscal year (to end March 20, 2018) home-made cigarettes is planed to reach 50 billion, he said.
About 55 billion cigarettes are smoked in Iran annually, the official said.
Ramzi further said that about 2.15 billion cigarettes is estimated to have been smuggled into the country during the 3-month period, 48 percent less compared to last yearş
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.
Domestic output met 82 percent of Iran’s cigarette consumption during the last fiscal year.
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