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Romania's black cigarette market at 8.3 pct in September
Romania's black cigarette market stood at 8.3 percent of the total consumption this September, in line with the previous months, but higher compared to the 2022 average of 7.1 percent, shows a survey by Novel Research.
"In September 2023, the black market remains steady in almost all the regions of the country. Among the new elements worth mentioning for September's survey is the inclusion of Bulgaria among the main sources of smuggled tobacco products. With a share of 16.8 percent and an upward trend in the last year, Bulgaria is third in place as regards smuggled tobacco products, after duty-free outlets and cheap whites. Also, the survey carried out in the last months no longer identified cigarettes smuggled from Ukraine. There is a downward trend in the share of products from Moldova (7.6 percent), while Serbia is constant," said Novel Research managing partner Marian Marcu in a press release on Wednesday.
Citing data on the platform StopContrabanda.ro, BAT Legal and External Affairs Director for South-East Europe Ileana Dumitru said that year-to-date, the Romanian authorities have captured about 105 million contraband cigarettes, more than double the amount in the same period last year.
Head of the Romanian Customs Authority Ion Cupa said that 10 million illegal cigarettes were discovered in a recent raid carried out in the counties of Suceava and Teleorman, during which customs inspectors provided specialist assistance alongside representatives of the Directorate for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism, the Organized Crime Directorate, the Directorate for the Investigation of Economic Crimes, and the Border Police General Inspectorate.
In 2022, tobacco companies funnelled about 20 billion RON to the state budget in excise duties, VAT and other taxes and contributions.