Azerbaijan's major tobacco company talks lack of some cigarette brands in local market

By Trend

A lack of sale of some brands of cigarettes or an increase in prices for them have been registered in Azerbaijan in recent days, Tabaterra CJSC, the largest tobacco manufacturer in the country, told Trend.

According to the company, it produces more than 100 varieties of cigarettes, including brands owned by major international companies such as British American Tobacco, Japan Tobacco International and Imperial Tobacco Group.

The CJSC said that until March of this year, the raw materials necessary for the licensed manufacturing of products [under Sobranie and Winston trademarks] were provided by the factories of the mentioned three companies located in Ukraine. However, due to the armed conflict in Ukraine, the raw materials for the plant [of Tabaterra company] since March have been supplied from other countries in the region, mainly Turkey.

"Sobranie and Winston trademarks belong to Japan Tobacco International. Winston brand products have been manufactured by our company since 2019, and Sobranie brand products since 2021," the company explained. "Due to difficulties in the field of logistics which arise in the world amid the ongoing conflict, the process of changing the country of supply of raw materials for some varieties of products took longer."

"For the varieties mentioned above, the source of supply of raw materials has also already been determined and in the near future, the raw materials will be delivered to our enterprise. At the same time, we want to note that there are no difficulties on issues related to other types of products produced by our enterprise," added the company.