The overall value of exported tobacco cigarettes shrank by an average -36.3% for all exporting countries since 2017 when worldwide shipments of cigarettes were valued at $25.5 billion.
Year over year, worldwide sales for cigarette exports declined by -21.9% from $20.8 billion in 2020.
The top 5 exporters of tobacco cigarettes are Poland, Germany, Lithuania, Portugal and Indonesia. Combined, that cohort of major cigarette suppliers sold almost half (48.3%) of globally exported cigarettes.
Among continents, suppliers in Europe earned the most from tobacco cigarettes exported during 2021 with shipments valued at $10.7 billion or 65.8% of the world’s exported cigarettes. Asia furnished 27.8% of the global total, trailed by African shippers of cigarettes accounting for another 3%.
Tinier percentages originated from Latin America (2.1%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, North America (1.2%), then Oceania (0.1%) led by Australia and New Zealand.
For research purposes, the 6-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix is 240220 for cigarettes containing tobacco.
Tobacco Cigarettes Exports by Country
Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of tobacco cigarettes during 2021.
- Poland: US$4.1 billion (25% of total exported cigarettes)
- Germany: $1.4 billion (8.5%)
- Lithuania: $824.4 million (5.1%)
- Portugal: $821.2 million (5.1%)
- Indonesia: $768.1 million (4.7%)
- Romania: $730.8 million (4.5%)
- South Korea: $679.9 million (4.2%)
- Czech Republic: $629.6 million (3.9%)
- Singapore: $619.5 million (3.8%)
- Hong Kong: $526.1 million (3.2%)
- Switzerland: $403.6 million (2.5%)
- Turkey: $341.5 million (2.1%)
- Greece: $332.6 million (2%)
- Ukraine: $326.2 million (2%)
- Philippines: $258.5 million (1.6%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped over three-quarters (78.1%) of globally exported cigarettes in 2021.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing exporters of tobacco cigarettes since 2017 were: Philippines (up 110.7%), Lithuania (up 52.7%), Portugal (up 48.1%) and Poland (up 40.7%).
Top international suppliers that posted declines in their exported cigarettes sales were led by: Germany (down -54.6%), Hong Kong (down -47.4%), Singapore (down -40.8%), South Korea (down -39.6%) and Turkey (down -28.7%).
Countries Winning Largest Trade Surpluses from Cigarettes
The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for tobacco cigarettes during 2021. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports. Thus, the statistics below present the surplus between the value of each country’s tobacco cigarettes exports and its import purchases for that same commodity.
- Poland: US$4 billion (net export surplus up 41% since 2017)
- Lithuania: $765.6 million (up 66.6%)
- Portugal: $697.9 million (up 57.5%)
- Indonesia: $697.1 million (down -12.2%)
- Romania: $633.6 million (down -1%)
- South Korea: $617.5 million (down -42.3%)
- Switzerland: $379.8 million (down -17.7%)
- Czech Republic: $351.3 million (down -32.1%)
- Ukraine: $295.4 million (up 19.3%)
- Philippines: $249.3 million (up 295.4%)
- Turkey: $220.6 million (down -54%)
- Armenia: $205.8 million (up 3.1%)
- Serbia: $178.8 million (down -7.2%)
- Greece: $174.5 million (down -6.7%)
- Russia: $127.8 million (down -46.7%)
Poland accumulated the highest surplus in the international trade of tobacco cigarettes in 2021. In turn, this positive cashflow confirms Poland’s strong competitive advantage for this specific product category.
Countries Posting Worst Trade Deficits from Cigarettes
The following countries posted the highest negative net exports for tobacco cigarettes during 2021. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports. Thus, the statistics below present the deficit between the value of each country’s tobacco cigarettes import purchases and its exports for that same commodity.
- Italy: -US$1.8 billion (net export deficit down -10.8% since 2017)
- Japan: -$1.7 billion (down -32.2%)
- Spain: -$1.23 billion (down -6.3%)
- France: -$1.15 billion (down -6.3%)
- Vietnam: -$605.2 million (down -362.4%)
- Saudi Arabia: -$496.2 million (down -33.6%)
- Australia: -$372.9 million (down -33.9%)
- Belgium: -$297.3 million (down -9.6%)
- Austria: -$274.9 million (up 37.4%)
- Israel: -$264.8 million (up 28.4%)
- Germany: -$250.4 million (down -111%)
- Norway: -$241.4 million (up 35.1%)
- Iraq: -$240.8 million (down -86%)
- United Kingdom: -$213.8 million (down -16.8%)
- United States: -$212.8 million (down -144.8%)
Overtaking Japan in 2021, Italy racked up the highest deficit in the international trade of tobacco cigarettes. In turn, these negative cashflows highlight both countries’ strong competitive disadvantages for this specific product category but also signals opportunities for tobacco cigarettes-supplying countries that help satisfy the powerful demand from consumers living in those nations.
Tobacco Cigarettes Exporting Companies
Based on the Forbes Global 2000 rankings, the following tobacco companies are among the top largest companies in the world.
- Philip Morris International (United States)
- British American Tobacco (United Kingdom)
- Japan Tobacco (Japan)
- Altria Group (United States)
- Imperial Tobacco Group (United Kingdom)
- Reynolds American (United States)
- ITC (India)
- Lorillard (United States)
- KT&G (South Korea)
- Gudang Garam (Indonesia)
The above corporations are presented in the same order as they appear in the Forbes listing. Shown within parentheses is the country where each conglomerate has its headquarters.
According to global trade intelligence firm Zepol, the following are also international suppliers of tobacco cigarettes.
- Bommidala Enterprises (India)
- Cia Sulamericana De Tabacos (Brazil)
- Gunvor International (Netherlands)
- Joh Wilh Von Eicken (Germany)
- Majestica Enterprises (Hong Kong)
- Scandinavian Tobacco (Poland)
- Tabacalera Hondurena (Honduras)
Searchable List of Tobacco Cigarettes Exporting Countries in 2021
The 100 major exporters of cigarettes in the automated database below accounted for 99.97% of the total value of worldwide cigarette exports.
| Rank | Exporter | Cigarette Exports | 2020-1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Poland | $4,056,014,000 | +1.4% |
| 2. | Germany | $1,373,593,000 | +1.8% |
| 3. | Lithuania | $824,357,000 | -16.6% |
| 4. | Portugal | $821,165,000 | +9.4% |
| 5. | Indonesia | $768,124,000 | -1% |
| 6. | Romania | $730,806,000 | -8.5% |
| 7. | South Korea | $679,880,000 | -16.7% |
| 8. | Czech Republic | $629,627,000 | -32.3% |
| 9. | Singapore | $619,477,000 | +2% |
| 10. | Hong Kong | $526,137,000 | +2.8% |
| 11. | Switzerland | $403,600,000 | -0.9% |
| 12. | Turkey | $341,539,000 | -20.7% |
| 13. | Greece | $332,564,000 | +30.2% |
| 14. | Ukraine | $326,207,000 | +5% |
| 15. | Philippines | $258,538,000 | -5.1% |
| 16. | Armenia | $239,095,000 | -0.9% |
| 17. | Serbia | $228,947,000 | +8.4% |
| 18. | Netherlands | $211,701,000 | +46.8% |
| 19. | Russia | $202,103,000 | +3.5% |
| 20. | Taiwan | $201,632,000 | +64% |
| 21. | China | $163,535,000 | -36.4% |
| 22. | Thailand | $160,523,000 | +20.4% |
| 23. | United States | $135,781,000 | -12.7% |
| 24. | United Arab Emirates | $131,604,000 | -96.7% |
| 25. | Nigeria | $111,388,000 | +77% |
| 26. | South Africa | $103,683,000 | -14.9% |
| 27. | Japan | $98,926,000 | -4.5% |
| 28. | Croatia | $96,430,000 | -14.2% |
| 29. | Belgium | $94,780,000 | +155.4% |
| 30. | Luxembourg | $94,214,000 | +20.2% |
| 31. | Kenya | $88,471,000 | -0.8% |
| 32. | India | $85,216,000 | +14.7% |
| 33. | Vietnam | $76,620,000 | -57.8% |
| 34. | Hungary | $64,021,000 | -56.5% |
| 35. | Spain | $63,761,000 | +8.7% |
| 36. | Bulgaria | $62,069,000 | +10.3% |
| 37. | Canada | $55,142,000 | -53% |
| 38. | Suriname | $54,573,000 | +114.7% |
| 39. | Senegal | $48,350,000 | +22.9% |
| 40. | Panama | $48,125,000 | -20.6% |
| 41. | Chile | $44,868,000 | -36.6% |
| 42. | Aruba | $43,524,000 | +119.8% |
| 43. | Kazakhstan | $43,017,000 | -16.4% |
| 44. | Zimbabwe | $35,415,000 | +34.5% |
| 45. | Brazil | $33,507,000 | -13.8% |
| 46. | Trinidad/Tobago | $32,447,000 | -15% |
| 47. | Tunisia | $29,916,000 | -1.9% |
| 48. | Honduras | $27,139,000 | +38% |
| 49. | Paraguay | $25,957,000 | -29.9% |
| 50. | Myanmar | $25,878,000 | -33.5% |
| 51. | Latvia | $24,400,000 | +2.6% |
| 52. | Tanzania | $19,826,000 | +19.8% |
| 53. | Malaysia | $19,416,000 | -53.1% |
| 54. | Kyrgyzstan | $18,188,000 | +49.5% |
| 55. | Laos | $18,021,000 | +54.1% |
| 56. | Denmark | $13,769,000 | +10.2% |
| 57. | Morocco | $13,712,000 | +67.3% |
| 58. | Australia | $13,374,000 | -37.7% |
| 59. | Burkina Faso | $12,917,000 | 0% |
| 60. | Pakistan | $11,598,000 | -21.6% |
| 61. | Uruguay | $10,551,000 | +41.7% |
| 62. | Sri Lanka | $10,504,000 | +428.4% |
| 63. | Belize | $9,887,000 | +62.2% |
| 64. | France | $9,286,000 | -7.5% |
| 65. | Moldova | $8,691,000 | +34.7% |
| 66. | North Macedonia | $7,622,000 | +7.5% |
| 67. | Uzbekistan | $7,233,000 | +3.3% |
| 68. | Cambodia | $6,235,000 | -10.6% |
| 69. | Burundi | $6,130,000 | -10.9% |
| 70. | Dominican Republic | $5,960,000 | -14.1% |
| 71. | Estonia | $4,974,000 | +32.4% |
| 72. | Italy | $4,742,000 | -11.3% |
| 73. | Zambia | $3,343,000 | -15.4% |
| 74. | Finland | $3,241,000 | +38.2% |
| 75. | Mauritius | $2,505,000 | +13.6% |
| 76. | Bangladesh | $2,439,000 | -82.7% |
| 77. | Curaçao | $1,914,000 | 0% |
| 78. | Bosnia/Herzegovina | $1,872,000 | +53.3% |
| 79. | Azerbaijan | $1,777,000 | -32% |
| 80. | Tajikistan | $1,711,000 | -61.4% |
| 81. | Guatemala | $1,699,000 | +91.8% |
| 82. | Ivory Coast | $1,556,000 | -84.6% |
| 83. | Samoa | $1,197,000 | +33.3% |
| 84. | Georgia | $1,084,000 | +4417% |
| 85. | Congo | $1,065,000 | +60.6% |
| 86. | United Kingdom | $1,033,000 | -10.4% |
| 87. | Jordan | $811,000 | -41.5% |
| 88. | Sweden | $788,000 | -10.1% |
| 89. | Iran | $734,000 | -53.1% |
| 90. | Egypt | $721,000 | +175.2% |
| 91. | Cyprus | $702,000 | -58.2% |
| 92. | Lebanon | $592,000 | -46.6% |
| 93. | Montenegro | $572,000 | -9.4% |
| 94. | Mongolia | $551,000 | -64.8% |
| 95. | Fiji | $511,000 | +2.8% |
| 96. | Nicaragua | $449,000 | -39.7% |
| 97. | New Zealand | $447,000 | -97.8% |
| 98. | Barbados | $358,000 | -36.7% |
| 99. | Saudi Arabia | $279,000 | 0% |
| 100. | Colombia | $275,000 | -76% |
Focusing on the top 100 exporters of tobacco cigarettes, the fastest-growing suppliers compared to 5 years earlier in 2017 were Curaçao (up 38,180%), Suriname (up 5,010%), Jordan (up 3,955%), Pakistan (up 2,675%), Zambia (up 1,143%) and Samoa (up 576.3%).
You can change the presentation order by clicking the triangle icon at the top of any of the columns in the above database. An entry of 0% in the right-most column means that no 2020 data was available.
See also Tobacco Cigarettes Imports by Country, Coffee Exports by Country, Tea Exports by Country and Cannabis Oils Exports by Country
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on August 1, 2022
Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on August 1, 2022
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on August 1, 2022
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on August 1, 2022
Wikipedia, Category: Tobacco companies. Accessed on August 1, 2022
Zepol’s company summary highlights by HTS code. Accessed on August 1, 2022
