ESTA is pleased to announce the release of a study commissioned from London Economics on the fine-cut tobacco (FCT) excise taxation in the European Union. This study illustrates the key economic mechanisms of fine-cut tobacco taxation by using the examples of 4 meaningful FCT markets: Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. The study is based on data coming from publicly available sources including national statistical agencies and the European Commission. The 2018 London Economics study reaffirms the key findings of the initial 2015 study, underlining the buffer function of fine-cut tobacco. By providing an affordable legal alternative to price-sensitive consumers when faced with prohibitive tobacco excise increases, fine-cut tobacco mitigates losses in government revenue resulting from rises in illicit trade and non-domestic consumption. Read More