Major Russian cigarette manufacturers have released statistics of the first quarter of 2007, posting a notable decrease in cigarette imports on the domestic market, according to a report by RosBusinessConsulting news agency.

Shipments to PM and BAT distributors have fallen 6.6 per cent and 11 per cent respectively. This is believed to be partly due to seasonal reasons, as cigarette retailers had tried to stockpile goods pending the introduction of a fixed minimum retail price for cigarettes that took effect in January. Yet, PM Russia admits that some of the company’s brands have experienced a decrease in sales over the first three months of 2007. Sales of L&M and some lower price, local brands have been shrinking, but thanks to a better position of the international brands such as Marlboro, Parliament and Chesterfield, PM has lost just 0.2 percentage points of its market share since the beginning of the year and now holds 26.6 per cent of the market.