Japan Tobacco International (JTI) key-brand shipment volume rose 2.8 per cent in the third quarter, powered by a 6.5 per cent hike in shipments of Winston cigarettes.

Winston accounted for 37.4 billion sticks of 75.5 billion sticks of global flagship brand shipments. Camel volume rose 1.2 per cent to 13.8 billion sticks. Total volume at 104.5 billion sticks in the three months to 30 Sept was almost unchanged from a year ago, JTI said. Among JTI regions, only the one comprising countries of the former Soviet Union reported lower volume; a 6.4 per cent drop.
At parent company Japan Tobacco, JT said unfavourable currency movements have reduced revenue this year from JTI. A declining Japanese smoking rate has cut into domestic volume and sales. However JT said profit from its international tobacco business and pharma holdings has been better than expected, and forecast a 10.1 per cent increase in operating profit for fiscal year 2016.