Iran will produce 10 billion cigarettes with international brands by the end of the current Iranian year (March 19, 2016), says the head of Tobacco Planning and Supervision Center affiliated with the Ministry of Industries, Mining and Trade. Ali Asghar Ramzi added that the move will put an end to the import of these brands. “We are doing this based on the targets set in the Fifth Five-Year Development Plan (2011-16),” IRNA quoted the official as saying. According Iran Tobacco Company, Iranians smoke 67 billion cigarettes a year, of which 16 million are imported, 24 million are smuggled and the rest are produced domestically.
