Overall the value of imported tobacco cigarettes declined -23.5% for all importing countries since 2017 when international purchases of tobacco cigarettes were valued at $24.7 billion.
Year over year, the overall value of imported tobacco cigarettes dropped by -15.7% from $22.44 billion during 2020.
From a continental perspective, buyers located in European countries spent the most on imported tobacco cigarettes during 2021 with purchases costing $9.8 billion or more than half (51.8%) of the global total. In second place were Asian importers at 35.2% with another 4.9% worth brought into Africa.
Smaller percentages were bought by customers in Oceania (2.7%) led by Australia and New Zealand, Latin America (2.6%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, then North America (2.4%).
For research purposes, the 6-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix is 240220 for tobacco cigarettes.
Tobacco Cigarettes Imports by Country
Below are the 25 countries that paid the most for imported tobacco cigarettes during 2021.
- Japan: US$1.79 billion (9.5% of total imported cigarettes)
- Italy: $1.76 billion (9.3%)
- Germany: $1.6 billion (8.6%)
- Spain: $1.3 billion (6.8%)
- France: $1.2 billion (6.1%)
- Vietnam: $681.8 million (3.6%)
- Singapore: $571 million (3%)
- Saudi Arabia: $496.4 million (2.6%)
- Hong Kong: $415.5 million (2.2%)
- Netherlands: $403 million (2.1%)
- Belgium: $392.1 million (2.1%)
- Australia: $386.3 million (2%)
- United States: $348.5 million (1.8%)
- United Arab Emirates: $319.2 million (1.7%)
- Thailand: $280.6 million (1.5%)
- Czech Republic: $278.3 million (1.5%)
- Austria: $274.9 million (1.5%)
- Israel: $264.8 million (1.4%)
- China: $256.8 million (1.4%)
- Norway: $241.4 million (1.3%)
- Iraq: $240.8 million (1.3%)
- United Kingdom: $214.8 million (1.1%)
- Cambodia: $211.6 million (1.1%)
- Slovakia: $195.5 million (1%)
- Greece: $158.1 million (0.8%)
By value, the listed 25 countries purchased 75.4% of all cigarettes imported in 2021.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing markets for cigarettes since 2017 were: Vietnam (up 2,350,948%), Germany (up 119.1%), Greece (up 37.5%) and Austria (up 37.4%).
Those countries that posted declines in their imported cigarettes purchases were led by: United States of America (down -18.1%), United Kingdom (down -17.8%), Italy (down -10.7%) and Spain (down -7.3%).
Tobacco Cigarettes Imports into Japan
Japan’s global purchases of imported tobacco cigarettes totaled US$1.79 billion in 2021. Below are the top 15 suppliers from which Japan imported the highest dollar value worth of tobacco cigarettes during 2021. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country since 2017.
- Serbia: US$710.7 million (up 188.6% from 2017)
- South Korea: $441.2 million (down -20.6%)
- Ukraine: $365.6 million (down -9.2%)
- Switzerland: $182.2 million (down -55.1%)
- Singapore: $38.1 million (up 589.9%)
- Taiwan: $25.3 million (up 80%)
- Turkey: $6.7 million (down -33.7%)
- Mexico: $6.3 million (down -32.8%)
- Indonesia: $4.3 million (up 56%)
- Lithuania: $3 million (down -99.4%)
- Luxembourg: $1.6 million (down -15.8%)
- China: $1.4 million (down -89.4%)
- Netherlands: $984,000 (down -20.7%)
- Poland: $802,000 (down -99.8%)
- Uruguay: $737,000 (down -25.3%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 99.95% of cigarettes imported by Japan in 2021.
Among the above countries, four grew their supplies of cigarettes to Japan since 2017 namely Singapore (up 589.9%), Serbia (up 188.6%), Taiwan (up 80%) and Indonesia (up 56%).
Countries that experienced declines in the value of cigarettes exported to Japanese importers included: Poland (down -99.8%), Lithuania (down -99.4%), mainland China (down -89.4%) and Switzerland (down -55.1%).
Overall, the value of Japan’s imported cigarettes fell by an average -31.5% from all supplying countries since 2017 when cigarettes purchased cost $2.6 billion.
Tobacco Cigarettes Imports into Italy
Italy’s global purchases of imported tobacco cigarettes totaled US$1.76 billion in 2021. Below are the top suppliers from which Italy imported the highest dollar value worth of tobacco cigarettes during 2021. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country since 2017.
- Poland: US$336.1 million (up 28.5% from 2017)
- Netherlands: $309.5 million (up 101.8%)
- Czech Republic: $295.4 million (down -41.5%)
- Portugal: $274.4 million (up 185.7%)
- Romania: $266.5 million (down -23.2%)
- Germany: $192.1 million (down -68%)
- Greece: $38.3 million (2017 data unavailable)
- Croatia: $37.9 million (up 64,120%)
- Bulgaria: $6.9 million (up 217.9%)
- Luxembourg: $2.4 million (down -20.9%)
- Hungary: $409,000 (up 212.2%)
- Lithuania: $395,000 (down -91.1%)
- Belgium: $314,000 (2017 data unavailable)
- Brazil: $3,000 (2017 data unavailable)
By value, the listed countries shipped 100% of cigarettes imported by Italy in 2021.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of cigarettes to Italy since 2017 were: Croatia (up 64,120%), Bulgaria (up 217.9%), Hungary (up 212.2%) and Portugal (up 185.7%).
Countries that experienced declines in the value of their cigarettes supplied to Italian importers included: Lithuania (down -91.1%), Germany (down -68%) and Czech Republic (down -41.5%).
Overall, the value of Italy’s imported cigarettes shrank by an average -10.7% from all supplying countries since 2017 when cigarettes purchased cost $2 billion.
Tobacco Cigarettes Imports into Germany
Germany’s global purchases of imported tobacco cigarettes totaled US$1.624 billion in 2021. Below are the top 15 suppliers from which Germany imported the highest dollar value worth of tobacco cigarettes during 2021. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country since 2017.
- Poland: US$1.4 billion (up 225.9% from 2017)
- Czech Republic: $87.1 million (up 138.8%)
- Lithuania: $34.4 million (down -18.7%)
- Luxembourg: $34.1 million (up 9.8%)
- Romania: $31.9 million (down -43.7%)
- Hungary: $24.2 million (down -13%)
- Turkey: $15.2 million (up 3539.1%)
- Switzerland: $6.9 million (down -47.1%)
- Serbia: $4.4 million (up 55%)
- Ukraine: $3.1 million (up 1898.1%)
- Russia: $2.1 million (up 2160.4%)
- Croatia: $1.6 million (down -95.8%)
- Bulgaria: $1.2 million (down 0%)
- Netherlands: $1.1 million (down -96.4%)
- Belgium: $907,000 (down -31.1%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 99.9% of cigarettes imported by Germany in 2021.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of cigarettes to Germany since 2017 were: Turkey (up 3,539%), Russia (up 2.160%), Ukraine (up 1,898%) and Poland (up 225.9%).
Countries that experienced declines in the value of their cigarettes supplied to German importers included: Netherlands (down -96.4%), Croatia (down -95.8%), Switzerland (down -47.1%) and Romania (down -43.7%).
Overall, the value of Germany’s imported cigarettes rose by an average 119.1% from all supplying countries since 2017 when cigarettes purchased cost $741.3 million.
Tobacco Cigarettes Imports into Spain
Spain’s global purchases of imported tobacco cigarettes totaled US$1.3 billion in 2021. Below are the top 15 suppliers from which Spain imported the highest dollar value worth of tobacco cigarettes during 2021. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country since 2017.
- Poland: US$463.6 million (up 75% from 2017)
- Germany: $387.4 million (down -46.4%)
- Portugal: $315.4 million (up 1.7%)
- Romania: $48.1 million (up 199.4%)
- Czech Republic: $24.7 million (up 98.5%)
- Greece: $21.3 million (up 135.3%)
- Luxembourg: $18.6 million (up 127.3%)
- Netherlands: $8.2 million (down -49.9%)
- Bulgaria: $3.1 million (up 55.3%)
- Lithuania: $2.7 million (down -41.5%)
- Belgium: $1.5 million (up 12,700%)
- Turkey: $247,000 (2017 data unavailable)
- Serbia: $179,000 (up 1,179%)
- Hungary: $28,000 (down -98.4%)
- United States: $2,000 (down -95.8%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 100% of cigarettes imported by Spain in 2021.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of cigarettes to Spain since 2017 were: Belgium (up 12,700%), Serbia (up 1,179%), Romania (up 199.4%) and Greece (up 135.3%).
Countries that experienced declines in the value of their cigarettes supplied to Spanish importers included: Hungary (down -98.4%), United States of America (down -95.8%), Netherlands (down -49.9%) and Germany (down -46.4%).
Overall, the value of Spain’s imported cigarettes reduced by an average -7.3% from all supplying countries since 2017 when cigarettes purchased cost $1.4 billion.
See also Tobacco Cigarettes Exports by Country, Japan’s Top Trading Partners and Italy’s Top 10 Importsd
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook: Field Listing: Imports – Commodities. Accessed on September 23, 2022
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on September 23, 2022
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on September 23, 2022