Imports of cigarettes increase by 55 tons compared to 2016

The amount of tobacco that Albania produces does not meet the needs of the domestic market prompting the need of imports to cover the bulk of domestic consumption.

According to official statistics from the General Directory of Customs, for the first 6 months of this year the quantity of tobacco imported and marketed for consumption results to be 55 tonnes more than the same period of the previous year.

But referring to the data from the customs, these figures result only for cigarettes and not for the entire tobacco product.

According to data from the customs, for the first semester of this year 1 408 tons of cigarettes were imported, while for the same period of the previous year the import level of this product was 1 353 tons.

Although import has increased, there is no analysis or a precise definition of the amount consumed, as there is no estimate or measurement of this product than domestic production.

But although Albania is considered a country with high production potential of this product, the market continues to be dominated by importers.

However, in recent years there is a tendency to resuscitate the domestic production and consumption of “open tobacco”, as it is known in everyday parlance.

But the high informality that dominates the agriculture sector does not exclude tobacco.

So there are no accurate statistics on the size of the domestic production, and there are ongoing debates on import, since smuggling of cigarettes has flourished for a long time.

SCAN

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