Imperial Brands PLC is a leading multinational company specialised in the manufacturing and marketing of cigarettes, fine-cut tobacco, and other tobacco products in more than 120 markets worldwide.
Imperial Tobacco’s membership in ESTA includes Imperial Tobacco Group, Imperial Tobacco Belgium, Imperial Tobacco Netherlands, Imperial Tobacco Finland and Reemtsma in Germany.
An obvious correlation exists between the highest levels of illegal and non-domestic consumption (e.g. France, UK, Ireland, Poland and Finland) and the highest taxation rates applied to fine-cut toconsbacco, in comparison with cigarettes. The figures clearly show that any alignment of tobacco taxation, regardless of the products’ specificities, will prevent fine-cut tobacco from fulfilling its buffer function, leading to increased illegal trade of cigarettes and driving down government revenues.
Read more about the relationship between tax and illegal trade