Japan Tobacco (JT) cigarette sales volume fell 11.9 per cent in January, lending support to company’s forecast that ongoing market decline and rising popularity of tobacco vapour products would reduce volume 10 per cent this year.

JT domestic market share was 59.8 per cent in January, compared with 61.1 per cent for all of 2016, the company said. The company shipped 7.1 billion cigarettes in January, down 1 billion from the prior January. Cigarette revenue fell 7.6 per cent to JPY 42.6 billion (EUR 352 million).