Beijing Cigarette Factory, a key tobacco manufacturer in north China, registered growth in exports of its decades-old famous cigarette brand of Zhongnanhai in the first eleven months of 2005.

From January to November, Beijing Cigarette Factory exported 878.43 million Zhongnanhai brand cigarettes, a year-on-year increase of 10.8 per cent, earning US$ 9.75 million, up 14.66 per cent year-on-year. It is expected that the annual exports of Zhongnanhai in 2005 will reach 900 million cigarettes worth over US$ 10 million.
The exports of the specification of Zhongnanhai with a tar level of 1 mg – as a key part of all exports of Zhongnanhai – will reach 450 million cigarettes in 2005. (pi)