According to statistics released by the Ukrainian association of tobacco and alcohol makers and distributors, SOVAT, Reemtsma/Imperial Tobacco is retaining its leadership among Ukrainian cigarette exporters, having supplied 1.56 billion cigarettes abroad over the first five months of 2006.

It is followed by JTI, PM and Gallaher (467 million, 246.6 million and 162 million pieces correspondingly). An aggregate of 2.570 billion cigarettes were exported from Ukraine over five months, mainly to Iran, Taiwan, Moldova, Belarus, Armenia and Georgia. By the end of the year, cigarette exports from Ukraine are expected to register 8 to 10 per cent growth from last year’s 6.5 billion sticks. In 2005, export supplies saw a 22 per cent year-on-year increase. Also, last year Ukrainian tobacco makers started to export non-filters, although in small proportion. At the same time, given the 20 to 30 billion surplus of cigarette output, the volume of illegal exports seems to be much bigger than official supplies. (vt)