Cigarette Smuggling Increases by 8.9%

A total of 7.58 billion cigarettes were smuggled into Iran during the seven months to Oct. 21, indicating an 8.9% increase compared with the corresponding period of last year.  
An estimated 37.91 billion cigarettes were smoked during the period, registering no significant change year-on-year, Mehr News Agency reported, citing the Ministry of Industries, Mining and Trade’s data. 
The report added that cigarette exports stood at 71 million during the period, indicating a 42% YOY increase. 
Local production stood at 30.2 billion, registering a 2.6% decline YOY. 
The Iranian government has banned the import of cigarettes for a long time now.
The average goods and services Consumer Price Index of "tobacco", among 12 groups of the basket of consumer goods and services purchased by households, in the 12-month period ending Oct. 21, which marks the end of the seventh Iranian month, increased by 17.6% compared with the corresponding period of the previous year.
According to the Statistical Center of Iran, the CPI of the group stood at 396.4 during the period, indicating a 6.5% rise compared with the month before. 
The tobacco index, which has minimum impact on total inflation rate with a coefficient of 0.59%, registered a year-on-year increase of 42.3%.