Import Volumes of Cigarettes in Armenia Decreased in 2022, Competition Authority Reports Data

The import volumes of cigarettes in 2022 decreased by approximately 30% compared to 2019, while the volumes of heated and electronic tobacco imports increased by about 3 and 77 times, respectively. This information is reported by the press service of the Competition Protection Commission.

The Commission has conducted studies in the tobacco product sector, examining the markets for "Cigarettes", "Heated Tobacco, and Electronic Cigarettes." The volumes of tobacco product exports increased by about 16% in 2022 compared to 2021, largely due to the rise in cigarette export volumes.

It is noted that there is no production of electronic and heated tobacco in Armenia, with all of it being imported. In contrast, Armenia is fully self-sufficient in terms of cigarettes and is primarily a cigarette-exporting country. Local production exceeds import volumes by nearly 12 times.

Unlike cigarettes and electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco is not included in the mandatory marking list of goods. It is classified as an alternative to tobacco products. The Commission believes that heated tobacco products should also be included in the list of goods subject to mandatory marking.