The number of cigarette manufacturers in Iran has more than tripled over the last five years, resulting in a turnover of USD 1 billion last year, reports the Financial Tribune.

The number of cigarette manufacturers in Iran has more than tripled over the last five years, resulting in a turnover of USD 1 billion last year, reports the Financial Tribune.
As it stands, Iran currently has 39 tobacco and 23 cigarette production companies. Five years ago, there were only 7 cigarette manufacturers in the company that produced 29 billion cigarettes a year compared to the 55 billion that are being produced now.
While the number of cigarette producers has risen, the Iranian Tobacco Company (ITC) has seen a reduced output over recent years.
“ITC’s production last year [March 2019-20] reached around six billion cigarettes compared with nine billion in the year ending March 2019 and 12 billion in the year ending March 2018," ITC board member Payam Hamedani-Mojarrad was quoted as saying by ISNA.
British American Tobacco and Japan Tobacco International, two of the leading international manufacturers actually accounted for more than 60 per cent of the total cigarette production in Iran last year, reports the Financial Tribune.