Cigarette Sales of Altria.

One of the biggest tobacco companies Altria announced that it would reduce the volume of export cigarettes from America to Europe (to 57 billion cigarettes per year) and switch to supplies from other countries from its 42 factories around the world. The largest cigarette and tobacco factories are located in the Netherlands, Russia, Germany, Turkey and Ukraine. Last year 831.4 billion cigarettes were produced by Altria Tobacco Company.

Sales of cigarettes and tobacco at European and Latin American markets are falling slowly ( 0.9% and 2.6% respectively for the last year), in Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa up to 0.8%. As for Asia cigarette sales are growing rapidly - by 15.9%.

Sales of tobacco products in the U.S. fell by 3.3% for the last year.

The share of Philip Morris International in the world market for cigarettes is 15.4%, but it will change shortly.

Cigarette Sales in Japan.

Each smoker in Japan will soon be forced to present a special plastic card with a photograph and a microchip to buy cigarettes and tobacco.

The decision to introduce such a system was adopted by tobacco companies associations, led by tobacco giant Japan Tobacco to tighten rules of cigarette sales.

Each tobacco manufacturers has to take special measures to protect cigarettes sales to minors.

Tobacco cards will be available free of charge in a specially organised centres where each smoker can provide a photo and a copy of any identity cards specifying the date of birth.